


Hogwarts Academy for Advanced Learners

by QueenofHorcrux



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Deaf Character, Dumbledore Bashing, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Minor Violence, Out of Character, Past Child Abuse, Pining Draco Malfoy, Pining George, Pining Harry Potter, Sane Tom Riddle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2018-12-24 20:15:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 43,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12020169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenofHorcrux/pseuds/QueenofHorcrux
Summary: Left on the Dursley's doorstep at the age of one, Hadrian Potter's family had always made sure she knew she was not wanted. Despite her rough childhood, she had always managed to be the smartest girl in her school, so what will happen when she is offered a scholarship in the Hogwarts Academy for Advanced Learners? Hadrian and her new found friends will slowly uncover the truth about the mysterious disappearances of their parents. Will the orphaned teenagers finally discover the dark secrets of their parent's pasts, and if so, will they live long enough to tell the tale?*I do not own any of this content, all of the characters and HP related things belong to J.K Rowling*





	1. The Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I am new at writing and this is the first story that I've decided to post... So it's not the best :P This story was originally on Wattpad but I'm also uploading here now.

Ever since her mysterious appearance on the Dursleys doorway nearly fifteen years ago, Hadrian Potter had always been the one that stood out in her neighborhood. With bright-green piercing eyes, large, round glasses, jet-black hair, and bulky clothes, she was often the popular ‘conversation’ topic. Over the years, she got used to the points and snickers from the other children and rarely got personally offended by it anymore. By her third year in grade school, she had mastered all the detour routes to classes and was normally able to avoid people in general.

  
Hadrian knew nothing of her parents. Whenever she would mention them as a child, she would be punished and given extra chores. Hadrian had always known that her relatives took her in when she was a baby, after her parents died in a car crash when she was only a year old. She had always just assumed that she had no other relatives. The Dursleys never liked it when she asked questions about her former-family, Uncle Vernon in particular. She did not know the reason for their hostility towards them, but found it better not to ask.

 

The day before her fifteenth birthday found Hadrian in the middle of washing the breakfast dishes. The Dursleys never celebrated birthdays in their house. Except her cousin Dudley’s of course…and Aunt Petunia’s… and Uncle Vernon’s. Hadrian was used to being left out like that though, it didn’t seem to bother her anymore.

 

The doorbell sounded through the house, spelling Hadrian out of her daydreams. This one involving an enflamed house and her adopted-families satisfying screams.

 

 She paused in the middle of washing a plate, debating whether or not to pause her work and answer the door, when she heard Aunt Petunia come down the stairs. From her spot at the sink, Hadrian could only make out bits of the conversation.

 

“-a Ms. Potter?” a woman’s voice carried through the hall.

 

Hadrian’s curiosity and shock bubbled up inside of her. While drying her hands on her large, patch-filled dress, she snuck towards the kitchen door and peeked out.

 

A strict-looking woman was standing in the open door-way of the house. From what she could see at her point of view, she was wearing a finely pressed dress-suit, her grey-brown hair was tied back in a tight bun on top of her head. Silver spectacles balanced on the end of her nose and a letter in hand.

“Ms. Potter?” Aunt Petunia repeated slowly, and did not remove her hand from the doorknob. Hadrian could not see her face, but she could tell that her usual disgusted look was in place, the one that she always got at the mentioning of the surname.

 

“Yes, a Ms. Hadrian Potter.”

 

“May I ask who you are?” Aunt Petunia replied curtly.

 

“My name, is Professor McGonagall,” Supplied the woman. “And I am here on official Hogwarts business.”

 

Hadrian saw Aunt Petunia’s hand tighten on the door knob at the mention of Hogwarts.

 

“Hadrian did not apply for your school,” she replied coolly. “She is too young to study at-“

 

“Ms. Potter has shown special potential.” Interrupted McGonagall “As young as she may be for this grade work, I dare say she has proven her capability. However, she will not be the only adolescent there. In fact, I am sure you have heard of one, or at least his father, Lucius Malfoy?”

 

“I have never heard of such a man.” Aunt Petunia countered, and perhaps a bit too quickly because Hadrian could see that McGonagall did not believe her for a second.

 

The Dursleys have indeed known of the Malfoy family. Lucius Malfoy was the co-owner of a large company owned by a man named Tom Riddle. Mr. Dursley had been trying to meet with him over the past few months in hopes of securing a position in his staff. At the moment, Mr. Dursley worked as the director at a company called Grunnings. Hadrian always thought it was a fancy name for a place that sold screw-drivers, but she would not dare say that aloud.

 

“Really, I am surprised.” McGonagall replied, though her tone conveyed that she wasn’t. “Nevertheless, Ms. Potter is about to come of age and when she does, it is her decision to make.”

 

“She will not be going.”

 

Hadrian jumped back from the door at the sound of her Uncle Vernon’s voice.

 

“Ah, you must be Mr. Vernon Dursley.” Came McGonagall’s muffled voice.

 

Hadrian recovered quickly and resumed her spot at the kitchen door. She could now see her Uncle making his way down the steps towards the two women.

 

“She will not be going.” Uncle Vernon repeated stopping beside Aunt Petunia.

 

“As I said earlier, Ms. Hadrian Potter will come of age before her term starts this year.” McGonagall stated “It will be her decision whether she attends Hogwarts or not.”

 

Hadrian felt that she was about to explode from curiosity. What was Hogwarts, and why, if the Dursleys knew about it, had she never heard of the place? How is it that these people knew of her? How did they even know where she lived?

 

Hadrian’s head was buzzing with so many questions that she missed what was going on in the hallway.

 

“We will not be paying for that girl to go to some prissy Academy.” Uncle Vernon spat.

 

McGonagall looked slightly nonplussed but recovered quickly. “I can assure you that Ms. Potter has already been well taken care of, financially.”

 

Uncle Vernon sputtered and Hadrian could see the back of his pudgy neck turn purple. That was NOT a good sign.

 

“What are you talking about?” He demanded “I have not authorized any payments to this freak school of yours and I don't see where she will be finding the funds otherwise!”

 

“Surely you didn’t think that her parents would have left her with nothing?” chided McGonagall.

 

The Dursleys remained silent.

 

“Once Ms. Potter comes of age, she will be given access to her parent's accounts at Gringotts.” She said, annoyance clear on her face “You already know this, of course, because of the letter her parents sent you nearly thirteen years ago.”

_A letter?_ Hadrian didn’t hear anything about this before. The woman must have made a mistake, she was only living at the Dursleys residence because her parents died fourteen years ago. No one could send a letter a year after their death. Hadrian was starting to feel frustrated, none of this made any sense.

 

“Hadrian will not be having anything to do with your kind!” Uncle Vernon spat.

_Your kind?_

 

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you are talking about.” McGonagall replied with a blank face.

 

“ _Oho!_ Don’t give me that!” Uncle Vernon replied coldly, his voice lowering to a harsh whisper so that Hadrian had to strain her ears to listen. “When we took her in we vowed that we would put a stop to that Order business!”

 

 McGonagall face remained expressionless, but Hadrian thought she saw her eye twitch angrily.

 

“I am afraid that this is out of your hands now.” McGonagall replied with purport calm “Ms. Potter’s response will be expected no later than the 31st of July, as it says on this letter.”

 

She handed Uncle Vernon the envelope she had been holding, Hadrian could see a flash of what she suspected was the school’s emblem stamped in wax on the front.

 

“I am sorry if this situation has proven to be inconvenient.” McGonagall stated, though she did not bother hiding the glee in her tone.

 

She turned to leave and started off down the walkway. Aunt Petunia started to close the door when McGonagall spoke again.

“Oh, and Mr. Dursley?” She called, turning back around. “I shall know whether or not Ms. Potter receives that letter. I will have you know, she will read it sooner or later.”

 

Uncle Vernon gave her a look of upmost fury, but she either did not see or care. She turned back around with a satisfied smile and disappeared around the corner.


	2. The Letter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I currently had written three chapters over on Wattpad, so I'm just going to post them all now. :P

After McGonagall left the house that morning, Hadrian had quickly vanished back into the kitchen to finish the dishes. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute:

_Who was that woman?_

_How did she come to know about me?_

_What_ _is Hogwarts?_

_Are the Dursleys going to give me that letter?_

_What about the one my parents supposedly sent a year after their demise?_

Hadrian had been waiting all day to give the Dursleys a chance to give her the letter without her asking for it. After all, how could she explain that she was listening to their entire conversation earlier?

After clearing the dinner table that evening (the Dursleys were their living room, watching television), she was just considering to drop a casual hint about the mail today. She knew it wasn’t one of her most brilliant ideas because she picked up the mail before breakfast and it would be even more suspicious seeing as how she had never been written to before in her life. Though the Dursleys were possibly the most oblivious people in Surrey, she knew that after the woman’s visit her aunt and uncle would be more likely to catch on.

However, Hadrian never got the chance to ask. For as soon as she exited the dining room, Uncle Vernon was standing in the hallway.

Hadrian almost leaped back in surprise.

There was a pregnant pause in which they both stood there and stared at one another. Finally, her uncle spoke:

“This came in the… err… mail… for you… today...” Uncle Vernon said reluctantly, holding the letter in a vise grip by his side.

“Oh… thank you.” Hadrian replied warily.

“Your welcome.” He said stiffly.

An awkward silence fell between them, she could tell that he was struggling with himself to hand it over.

Finally, with a strangled grunt, Uncle Vernon thrust the letter onto her chest and stormed back into the living room.

Hadrian stood there for what seemed like hours, gaping at the letter.  Eventually, she was able to use her legs, and she raced upstairs towards her bedroom.

The ‘room’ used to be Dudley’s old toy closet and most of the space was taken up by boxes and broken games. Hadrian didn’t mind though. It was considerably bigger than the one under the stairs, where she slept up until the age of twelve, in which she became too tall for it and was moved to this one instead.

There was a circled window in the corner, it was tiny but gave off just enough light to brighten the small room during the day.

She closed the door and slid a thin board of wood across the center of it. Uncle Vernon had plenty of locks on the outside of her room, but none on the inside. At least this way, she got a bit of privacy.

She sat down criss-cross applesauce on the small cot that she was given.

Hadrian didn’t have many possessions. Her clothes were kept in a basket underneath her bed, a few books that she had managed to sneak up from the bookshelf downstairs sat upon the three dusty, crooked shelves that she built along her wall.

The Dursleys were far from who you would call bookworms (or readers in general) but there were a few in their collection that had caught her attention when dusting their bookcase. Agatha Christie’s novel _And Then There Were None_ was one of her personal favorites, but almost any classic murder and mystery book would do. Hadrian found that reading a chapter or two after dealing with the Dursleys all day helped to relieve some of her tension.

When the sun would set and the closet slowly lost its illumination, Hadrian would light a large kerosene lantern that sat on a crate next to her cot (which she found when rummaging through the boxes of Dudley’s old things.)

Tonight, Hadrian adjusted the flame length on the lamp a little higher than normal and turned her attention to the letter in her hands. The waxy symbol that she saw earlier was stamped across the opening flap. She studied the picture on the front. It was a shield shaped crest, with four animals in each corner.

A lion, a serpent, a badger and an eagle.

Inhaling a shaky breath, Hadrian broke the seal and unfolded the yellow parchment. Smoothing out the wrinkles that had formed from Uncle Vernon’s tight grip earlier, she began to read:

 

Hogwarts Academy for Advanced Learners

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

Dear Ms. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts Academy for Advanced Learners. Here, (if you so choose) you will continue your education for the rest of your school career. As a note to the transfer students, the first week (1-7 September) will be for the educational evaluation test rather than the normal courses. Lessons will start up normally in the following week.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your response no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

 

Hadrian's eyes were wide as she read the letter over the second time… a third time… a fourth time. Her mind was filled with questions again and she had to take a moment for it all to sink in.

Hogwarts is a school… for advanced learners? How was it that these people thought to invite her? Were they really that desperate? Was her Uncle Vernon right when he called it a freak school? Were they just some dodgy place full of weirdos and strange people?

 _In that case, pack your bags! You’ll fit right in._ Said a voice in her head. She scowled at the letter.

Perhaps it would be better if she waited until morning to decide… With that thought in mind, Hadrian hurried to get into her night clothes.

As she pulled down the comforter and lay on her mattress her thoughts start to wander back to the school.

_I wonder what kind of things they teach there. The letter mentioned something about evaluation tests? I wonder they are? They wouldn’t give very hard tasks on the first week there, would they?_

She would feel absolutely horrible if she were to travel all that way, only to fail the test and be sent back.

But, according to the letter and that woman earlier this morning, there would be at least a few other transfer students besides herself. For some strange reason, this made Hadrian feel a bit better.

_What am I doing? Worrying about tests and examinations? I’ve got to decide whether or not I’m going first!_

Knowing how her life was now, this shouldn’t be a difficult decision to make. This was her chance to finally be rid of the Dursleys and possibly found out more about her parents. However, there was one thing stopping her.

Hadrian had never been anywhere besides her school and the Dursleys home. What would it be like for her to pack her bags and travel a thousand miles away, with other strange kids her age, leaving everything she’s ever known behind?

It would be taking a big risk for her. Hadrian knew that if she left, the Dursleys would never welcome her back. _But,_ a small voice in Hadrian’s mind supplied, _they’ve never done that before anyway, have they?_

Hadrian closed her eyes and while drifting off to sleep, her thoughts wandered to her parents.

_I wonder how different life would have been if they had survived that accident… What were they like?_

That night she dreamed of red hair, green eyes much like her own, and a soft, quiet voice singing words of love and comfort to a familiar yet unrecognizable tune.

And for the first time in her life, Hadrian Potter woke up with a smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried for a bit of a melancholy ending for this one... I don't know why. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! You have probably guessed already but I try to regularly update this story every Tuesday. We'll see how well I keep up with it when school starts. Please review! >.<


	3. Aunt Marge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter I can upload today, a completely new one will be hopefully be posted by next Tuesday!

The next few days went by so fast that Hadrian could hardly keep up with it all. Her thoughts were constantly being interrupted by her relatives and the list of chores she had to do had tripled in size during the past few days (and it didn’t really help that her cousin Dudley kept following her around and trying to make trouble).

The reason for this sudden increase in her labored work was because Uncle Vernon’s sister, Marjorie Dursley, was going to be staying at their house for a week.

“Aunt Marge” was an exact replica of Uncle Vernon, a large plump body and blue beady eyes (she even had his mustache.). To put it simply, Hadrian hated her.

On every visit, Aunt Marge made it her job to find fault in Hadrian. Aggravating and insulting, she would judge and criticize everything she did. It wasn’t as though she didn’t deal with enough of this already, living with three Dursleys was enough to drive her up the walls, but four?

Heaven help her to live and see next week.

Hadrian just finished winding up the vacuum and storing it back into the closet when she heard a car pull into the driveway.

 _That will be them back from the airport, then._ She thought as she rushed over to the front door and peeked through.

Sure enough, she saw Uncle Vernon slam the trunk shut after heaving out Aunt Marge’s luggage. Aunt Marge slumped her large body out of the passenger’s side door and reached in to get a bag on the seat that appeared to be bouncing and barking.

_Oh yes, Ripper; how could I forget?_

Ripper ( _a most appropriate name,_ Hadrian thought), was Aunt Marge’s pet bulldog. For some people, they might find him cute. Hadrian, however, would not be fooled. Ripper was the meanest and snobbiest (is that even possible?) dog she had ever met. Always snarling and barking and biting at her.

When Hadrian was ten, Ripper once chased her up a tree in their backyard after she had “accidentally” trodden on his tail. During the five hours stuck on the branches (for Aunt Marge found it fit to leave her there), she realized it was not near as satisfying as she had hoped.

 Hadrian was snapped out of her thoughts when the door was whirled open, knocking her off of her feet and landing on her rear behind it.

“Where is my Dudders?” Aunt Marge yelled as she came wobbling into the house, her devil dog moshed underneath her right arm and a suitcase in the other.

Uncle Vernon entered next, balancing the rest of them.

 _Why does she always pack so many things?_ Hadrian thought as she stood up and the luggage was thrust into her arms. She stumbled backward a few steps before regaining her balance.

“Take those upstairs.” Uncle Vernon sneered.

Hadrian glared at her Aunt and Uncle’s backs as they disappeared into the living room, legs shaking as she struggled to hold the cases.

* * *

Thankfully, Hadrian was able to avoid being around Aunt Marge for too long that evening since she had had the dinner table set before the Dursleys entered the room. After an uneventful dinner (in which the Dursleys listened with faked enthusiasm as Aunt Marge retold her stories of her dog breeding business), Aunt Petunia entered the room with brandy and dessert. Hadrian opted to clean the kitchen early, rather than joining them.

After a few minutes, Hadrian had reentered the dining room in order to clear the dishes. This, however, proved to be a mistake.

While stacking the plates, Hadrian listened to their conversation.

“Aah,” said Aunt Marge, smacking her lips and putting the empty brandy glass back down. “Excellent nosh, Petunia. It’s normally just a fry-up for me of an evening, with twelve dogs to look after…” She burped richly and patted her great tweed stomach.

 _Disgusting!_ Hadrian thought to herself, as she grimaced and tried to fasten her work.

“You’ll be a proper-seized man, Dudders, like your father. Yes, I’ll have a spot more brandy, Vernon…”

“Now this one here-“

_Uh oh… this can’t be good._

Aunt Marge turned her head to address her and she felt her stomach clench.

“This one’s got a mean, runty look about her. You get that with dogs. I had Colonel Fubster drown one last year. Ratty little thing it was. Weak. Underbred.”

_Ignore her._

“It all comes down to blood, as I was saying the other day. Bad blood will out. Now, I’m saying nothing against your family, Petunia” – she patted Aunt Petunia’s bony hand with her shovel like one –“but your sister was a bad egg. They turn up in the best families. Then she ran off with a wastrel and here’s the result right in front of us.”

Hadrian felt her blood start to boil. _She is just trying to get a reaction. Ignore it!_

“This Potter,” Said Aunt Marge loudly, seizing the brandy bottle and splashing more into her glass and over the table cloth, “you never told me what he did?”

Hadrian’s anger started to mix with curiosity, she didn’t know either.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were looking extremely tense. Dudley had even looked up from his pie to his parents.

_Wait, does Dudley know as well?_

“He- didn’t work,” said Uncle Vernon, with half a glance at Hadrian.

 _That is not true!_ Hadrian could tell by his hesitation and his eyes. She was very observant.

“As I expected!” Said Aunt Marge, taking a huge swig of brandy and wiping her chin on her sleeve. “A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who-“

“He was not!” Shouted Hadrian suddenly. The table went very quiet. Hadrian was shaking all over, she had never felt so angry in her life. The Dursleys were telling lies about her parents, and this fat drunk was believing them!

“MORE BRANDY!” yelled Uncle Vernon who had gone very white.

 _What are they hiding?_ Hadrian thought as she noticed his expression.

 He emptied the bottle into Aunt Marge’s glass. “You, girl,” he snarled at Hadrian. “Go to bed, go on-“

“No, Vernon,” hiccupped Aunt Marge, holding up a hand, her tiny bloodshot eyes fixed on Hadrian’s. “Go on, girl, go on. Proud of your parents, are you? They go and get themselves killed in a car crash (drunk, I expect) –“

“WELL YOU’D KNOW, WOULDN’T YOU?!” Hadrian yelled.

Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon sputtered, Dudley dropped his fork which was halfway towards his mouth, and Aunt Marge sat there with her mouth hanging open.

“How dare you! They left you to be a burden on their decent, hardworking relatives!” screamed Aunt Marge, swelling with fury. “You are an insolent, ungrateful little-“

But Aunt Marge couldn’t finish her sentence because Hadrian had suddenly picked up the half-empty brandy glass that was sitting on the table and splashed it on her face.

Hadrian tore from the dining room before anyone could stop her, heading for the closet upstairs.

Her eyes were filling with angry tears as she swung open the door. She ran towards her bed and wrenched out the basket carrying her clothes. Quickly emptying a cardboard box in the corner of the room, she threw them inside. Hopping onto the bed, she emptied the shelves of their contents and laid them beneath the pile of clothes. Hadrian pushed aside the crate that was next to her cot and pulled up one of the floorboards, pulling out the flashlight and batteries that were stashed within.

She paused, staring at the items in her hands. Hadrian never really thought that she would ever need to use these.

She had stolen them three years ago, from the neighbor next-door. Dudley and his friends had been chasing her and she had ducked into her neighbor’s shed. After waiting a few minutes she realized that they had given up and was in the process of standing when she noticed her surroundings. There were lots of tools and nails and bolts, all scattered around the floor and the worktable.

Out of curiosity, she had moved forward and scanned the surface of it. On the back of the table was a store bag. It had seemed relatively new, so she peered inside, and that’s where she found them. Sitting brand new and unopened at the bottom. She just had to take them, she didn’t know why but she had had this weird feeling that she would need them. So she took them. And she hid them inside this loose floorboard for later.

Hadrian was brought back to the present by the sound of heavy footsteps climbing the stairs.

Uncle Vernon.

Hadrian tossed the flashlight and battery pack into the box, throwing one of her shirts over the contents. Just as she was bending down to pick it up, her Uncle reached the door.

“POTTER!” Uncle Vernon barked. He may have been calling her earlier as well, but she was too caught up in her thoughts to notice.

Hadrian ignored him in favor of opening the small window in the corner. There was no way she would be able to leave through the front door.

”POTTER!” Uncle Vernon yelled, “OPEN THE DAMN DOOR.”

Hadrian was feeling immensely grateful for remembering to put up the board before packing.

She quickly tied a shirt over the two holes on either side of the box for a lid, so that the things inside wouldn’t fall out, and she pushed it out of the window. Taking a quick look out, she saw that the box had landed safely enough on the flower bushes in the front.

She was just her leg onto the ledge of the window when she remembered something.

She quickly dashed towards her bed once more and lifted the mattress. Hadrian grabbed the wrinkled Hogwarts letter and started back towards the window.

*CRUNCH*

Hadrian whirled around from in front of the window just in time to see the board across the door split in half.

The door flung open and Uncle Vernon stood there for a moment, red faced and fuming, beady eyes bulging. Suddenly, he seemed to realize what she was trying to do. For he gave a loud roar and started forward.

Hadrian shrieked and swung both her legs through the window. She was sitting on the edge, letter in hand, and was about to jump when Uncle Vernon grabbed her wrist.

“PETUNIA!”

Hadrian struggled and yanked at her arm.

“PETUNIA, SHE'S GETTING AWAY!”

“LET GO OF ME!” Hadrian yelled and turned her head around to see the rest of the Dursleys burst into the room.

However, Uncle Vernon looked over too. And sensing her opportunity, Hadrian yanked herself free of his grip and jumped off the ledge with a scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I laughed so hard when writing this chapter. I was a bit tired... >.< Parts were used from the dinner scene from the third book, PoA. So, what do you think? Is Hadrian going to go to Hogwarts? I hope you enjoyed, please review! :D


	4. The Runaway

The drop was higher than Hadrian had expected. Falling down feet first into the flower bushes below, her balance was disoriented and she ended up landing on her left side rather than her feet. There was a loud thud and then everything went black.

An odd ringing in her ears… a damp and uneven surface beneath her body… A sharp object pressing into her cheek…

Hadrian slowly came to a few seconds after landing. She blinked a few times and tried to remember where she was.  _Oh, right._  Hadrian was laying in the large hydrangea bushes outside the front of the Dursley’s house, having landed there with her things after jumping out of the upstairs closet window.

_The Dursleys…_

Hadrian quickly scrambled up and grabbed her box full of things as best as she could with the numbed arm that she fell on. Hadrian looked up and took a glance at the front door of the house. However, the movement didn’t seem to agree with her as her vision started to blur more than usual and the world before her started to swim. Hadrian swayed where she stood, doing the best she could to stay on her feet.

The sharp object it seemed, had been her glasses, which was now, unfortunately, snapped in half and the lenses had slashed a deep gorge in her cheek. But right now, that was the least of her worries.

The Dursleys would be outside any moment now, so as quickly as she could Hadrian stumbled over to hide behind her neighbor’s garage. She slid her body down the side of the building, suddenly aware of the sharp burning that was beginning to spread through her left arm and the pounding in her head. Completely unaware of the absence of sound. Hadrian’s vision consisted only of bright flashing colors and fuzzy images now.

After a few minutes, Hadrian thought that the Dursleys might have left back into the house, so she scrambled up to start down the street of Privet Drive. Taking a quick look over towards Number 4 to see that indeed, the Dursleys had gone. However, as she walked down the darkened neighborhood she realized that something was still off besides her temporarily almost blinded vision. Hadrian stared down at her feet as she continued to walk slowly, gradually coming to a halt...

 _Why can’t I hear my footsteps?_ Hadrian thought, alarmed. She looked up from her feet and was surprised when she saw a car (Well, at least that is what she assumed the large, dark blue, seemingly floating blob was.) passing her on the street.

 _Why didn’t I hear that coming!?_  She thought frantically. She could feel, rather than hear the fact that she was now near hyperventilating.  _Okay, okay… Calm down! The last thing we need is to faint. It is probably the same thing that’s happening with my vision_ … Yeah, that’s it, she should just find someplace to sleep it off tonight and everything would be fine in the morning.

Looking around herself (her vision was slowly focusing and becoming normal again. Well, as normal as it was before, her glasses still being broken.), she noticed that the lights were not as harsh as they once were and it was now just her general bad vision that she had to deal with.

 _Alright, now to find a place to stay…_  she thought, the throbbing in her head getting worse as the time went.

Hadrian saw what she was confident were another pair of headlights, growing larger and brighter as the vehicle drew closer. She quickly stepped back from the street, tripping on the edge of the sidewalk and landing on her backside. The vehicle seemed to be coming to a halt and a side door opened up in front of her.

 _They're stopping for me!_ Hadrian thought gratefully, as she tried to make out the blurry figure that was now standing on the entrance steps, supposedly speaking to her. Hadrian easily read his lips. She had had lots of practice when she was younger, every time she spied on Dudley and his friends.

“Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded registrant of Hogwarts Academy for Advanced Learners. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve-” Shunpike stopped abruptly. He had just caught sight of Hadrian, who was still sitting on the ground. Hadrian scrambled to stand, grabbing her box and spinning around to see the man’s face before he spoke.

“What were you doin’ down there?” asked the man. Hadrian tried to speak, it was difficult because she couldn’t hear the sound of her own voice.  “Fell over,” she slurred.

“’Choo fall over for?” he sniggered. “I didn’t do it on purpose,” Hadrian replied, annoyed. One of the knees in her jeans was torn, and the hand she had thrown out to break her fall was bleeding. She suddenly remembered why she was out there in the first place and turned around quickly to stare down the streets of Privet Drive towards Number 4. Hadrian could still see the Dursley’s blurry shadows through the curtain-covered windows.

“’Choo lookin’ at?” asked Stan, though unnoticed because Hadrian couldn’t hear him. She turned around to face him once more. “Woss that on your face?” He asked. “Nothing,” said Hadrian quickly, reaching a hand up to touch the cut subconsciously.

“Woss your name?” Stan persisted. “Hadrian Potter.” She replied. “So- so this bus,” she went on, “did you say that it goes to Hogwarts?”

“Yep,” Stan said soundlessly, “me and Ern here go out to collect the Hogwarts students who don’t ‘ave transportation on their own.” He gestured to an old man sitting the driver’s seat. “’Ere,” he said, looking suspiciously at Hadrian, “you _are_ going to Hogwarts aren’t you?”

“Erm,” Hadrian hesitated. _Come on! This is what you have been waiting for. You can’t go back now, you’re halfway there already!_

Hadrian looked back towards Privet Drive, it looked as it always did; the identical houses lined in perfect rows, front lawns mowed and hedges neatly trimmed. Hadrian looked at house Number 4’s windows once again and saw the light shining through the curtains and into the lawn. After a moment, she saw the blurred silhouette of a bulky figure before the lights were turned off, bringing Hadrian out of her sorrowful reminiscence of her childhood “home”.

She turned back towards the conductor, who stood there with an expectant look on his face. Hadrian took a deep breath and closed her eyes, “Yes,” she said while opening them again, still not hearing her own words.

“Yes. I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one is a bit short, school started for me this week! I used parts of the conversation between Harry Potter and Stan Shunpike in the 3rd book (PoA) when he discovers the Knight Bus. Because for the life of me, I couldn’t write the way Stan speaks correctly :P New chapter next week!


	5. Lost and Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’ve measured it out and it seems that each chapter is about 2 ½ - 3 pages long, about 1,000+ words. It fits pretty perfectly with my schedule right now, so I’m pretty happy with it.

_I’m going to Hogwarts._ It was all Hadrian could think as she boarded the Knight Bus. _I’m going to Hogwarts._ Stan led her down the aisle towards an empty seat near the back before disappearing in a seat near the front of the bus.

A stern looking woman was advancing down the middle of the seats. She seemed familiar but Hadrian couldn’t make out the details with her broken glasses. The woman spoke to Stan, she seemed annoyed. She talked with animated movements and Stan stood there looking sheepish. Once they were finished talking the woman continued down the line directly towards Hadrian. For a moment she just stood there looking at her, from what Hadrian could see the woman looked surprised. “Hadrian Potter, I presume?” the woman asked, though Hadrian could only read her lips. She strived to concentrate on making out the words, her head was still throbbing horribly. “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Professor McGonagall.” McGonagall held out her hand.

 _McGonagall! Of course, the woman who delivered the Hogwarts letter._ Hadrian thought excitedly, all pain is forgotten momentarily as she shook the offered hand.

She worked her mouth for something to say but closed it abruptly when McGonagall spoke again, it was a bit disorienting not being able to actually hear her. “Ms. Potter, may I ask how you got in such a state? What has happened to your cheek?”

_Oh. Shoot. How am I supposed to explain the little fact that I jumped out my closet window in order to escape my abusive family?_

“Excuse me for my bluntness, Ms. Potter…” McGonagall stated when Hadrian didn’t speak. She quickly shook her head violently tousling her already broken glasses and knotted hair to explain that it wasn’t her fault.

“Perhaps it might be best if you stay with me…” McGonagall said, with a slightly concerned look on her face.

* * *

After a long and awkwardly silent ride on the Knight bus with Professor McGonagall, they arrived at a dusky looking hotel. As they got out of the bus, Hadrian saw McGonagall pay Stan and hand him a letter with the same waxed crest that was on her letter, this one with gold wax rather than what she assumed was the customary red. Hadrian frowned but followed the professor through the narrow door, a sign hung just outside with the words  _The Leaky Cauldron_  printed on it in white chipped paint.

McGonagall seemed to know exactly where she was going and walked straight towards the middle of the lobby. The place was large and dusty, small archways on the sides between brick pillars. Worn tables and chairs were scattered about and a large fireplace was built in at the end of the room, providing the only source of light. A rickety staircase was just visible from around the corner, Hadrian assumed that they led to the rooms.

It took her a few minutes to realize that the professor was talking to a small bald man, he wore all black, from what Hadrian could tell. After a few minutes, McGonagall gestured for her to follow her up the stairway. As she passed, Hadrian glanced over to the man McGonagall was speaking to and saw him staring at her as they left, unblinking. Hadrian shivered and hurried to follow the professor.

McGonagall leads Hadrian to a tall wooden door, identical to all of the others that lined the narrow hallways with the exception for the different numbers that labeled each room. McGonagall unlocked the door to number twenty-six and ushered Hadrian inside.

The rooms were not all that different from the lobby downstairs. The wallpaper was ripped and stained in some places and Hadrian thought she spotted a few mouse holes as she made her way further into the room. A large four-poster bed sat near the middle of the room as well as a moth-eaten carpet that was draped across the floor. There was a small window opposite of the door, and through it, Hadrian saw that the sun had already set and the stars were starting to coming out.

There was a small tap on her shoulder and Hadrian was unable to keep herself from flinching at the contact. She turned away from the window and smiled sheepishly at the professor.

Hadrian thought she saw a flicker of suspicion and concern on her blurry face.

“May I ask a personal question, Ms. Potter?” McGonagall’s lips seemed to say. Hadrian could only nod. “For how long have you been having troubles with your hearing? I do not mean any offense, of course.” Hadrian sighed and decided that it would be easiest to write it out instead of trying to speak without the sound of her own voice. She gestured writing with a paper and pen, hoping that she would get what she was trying to say. McGonagall stared at her blankly for a few seconds before she understood, “Do you need something to write with?” At Hadrian’s nod, she started rummaging through her handbag, finally handing her a notepad and pencil with a confused expression on her face. Hadrian smiled as what she would hope that McGonagall would take as a ‘thank you’ before she started writing.

 _“I temporarily lost my hearing after –“_ Hadrian paused with her pencil on the pad. How was she supposed to put this without making it seem too drastic?  _Well, you did jump out of a window._ With a sigh, Hadrian began to write a long letter explaining about her abusive family and the events of that evening up until the Shunpike man had found her.

After a few minutes, she handed over the notepad and waited for McGonagall to finish reading. Sadness, confusion, and anger passed over her face as well as other emotions that Hadrian couldn’t make out. _Is that guilt?_ Hadrian thought as McGonagall read. Several minutes later she looked up and sad blue eyes met green.

“I had no idea…” she seemed to mutter. “How long has this been going on?” Hadrian sat down on the bed, making her self-comfortable for a long night of writing and lip reading.

_This is going to take a while…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it’s still a bit short! I think that Hadrian will finally be getting to Hogwarts within the next few chapters, haha.


	6. Ginger Hair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys! Wow. So, I really wanted to include all of this content, but I also didn’t want it to take to long for Hadrian to finally get to Hogwarts. I have been working on multiple chapters and on the plot over the past week or so. This chapter was originally three short ones, like the previous additions. However, as I mentioned before, I didn’t want this to become a boring and drawn out story. Now, instead of Hadrian getting to Hogwarts in the chapter of what was going to originally be posted about 4-5 weeks from now, you get it all this Tuesday! Haha. So yeah, I hope you enjoy a month’s worth of work. :P

Hadrian had fallen asleep just as the sun started to rise. She and McGonagall had talked late into the night before she was called away on ‘Hogwarts business’.  During their conversation, Hadrian had told McGonagall all about her childhood and her relatives in exchange for information on the school. Hadrian had learned a lot about the place, including the verity that it was located in Scotland. The place kept getting more and more interesting the more she knew about it.

Hadrian stirred awake and opened her eyes with difficulty, adjusting them as best she could against the blinding light that was pouring through the window beside her bed. She reached to the side and groped the side table for her glasses out of habit. Her pair were still broken from the fall. But to her surprise, her hands touched glass. Hadrian rolled over to her side and picked up the new glasses that were lying next to a small note. She put them on and was surprised when she found that she could see perfectly with them. _Probably McGonagall, but how did she know my prescription?_ Hadrian picked up the note and read:

**Hadrian, I couldn’t help but notice that your glasses were a bit damaged-**

Hadrian snorted, _disintegrated is more like it._

**-so I brought you these. I wasn’t sure what your prescription was, but I was l lucky enough to find one of your dad’s old pairs in my desk the other night. I do hope they work well, I shall see you in a sennight.**

**-McGonagall**

_I’ll have to remember to thank her once I get to Hogwarts._ Hadrian thought as she set the note down and turned to lay on her back again. She stared at the ceiling. _I wonder what time it is._ She glanced towards the rusty clock that hung above the door: 9:58. Hadrian turned to stare at the ceiling once more. _I’ve never slept that late without the Dursleys being gone._ She thought, then shook her head at herself. _Don’t think about them now._

Reluctantly, Hadrian got out of bed to get dressed. She walked over to the box of her things that sat in the dusty corner beside the door. The shirt that she had tied on top was dirty and ripped in the side, where it had fallen in the bushes. _It’s a wonder it never fell off._ Hadrian thought as she removed the cloth and started rummaging through the clothes. She pulled out a simple blue dress that had a pleated skirt, along with a wide brown belt. _I suppose this will be acceptable, it’s the only one that’s not damp._ Hadrian had never been allowed to wear this dress unless there was company coming over, like when Uncle Vernon had someone from his company over for dinner. Other times Aunt Petunia would have it locked inside her closet with the rest of her clothes. Luckily, Aunt Marge had been visiting when Hadrian had left, so Aunt Petunia had to give it to her the day before she arrived.

 _But they’re not here now._ Hadrian thought as she laid it out on the bed and smoothed out the wrinkles. _You can wear whatever you want._ She sighed dejectedly and started to undress. _What will I do with a whole week to myself?_

_***_

Hadrian creaked open her door and poked her head out. She looked down the hallways, left and right. She had been a bit on edge ever since she lost her hearing, which had yet to go back to normal and making her feel more anxious than ever. She was just about to step out when an orange figure blurred past her, followed by two taller ones. They disappeared into one of the rooms before she could catch a glimpse of their faces. She stared curiously at the open door to the room next to hers, but before she made up her mind as to whether to introduce herself, she was tapped on the shoulder from behind. She flinched just as violently as to when McGonagall had done it. _I really need to work on_ not _doing that._ Hadrian thought as she whirled around.

A plump woman was standing there, looking at her with wide eyes. Her hair, Hadrian noticed, was the same ginger color as the three that had passed a moment ago. A little girl was holding her hand, she looked to be at least five or six years younger than Hadrian. Her hair was shoulder length with the bangs pinned off to the side. Unlike, who Hadrian assumed was her mother, whose hair was shorter and curly.

She spoke, and Hadrian read her lips inherently.

“Are you alright dear?” She said, eyes still wide and looking at Hadrian with concern. “I’m sorry I frightened you, I tried to talk to you but you seemed to not hear me.”

Silence.

Hadrian tried to think of what to say but she didn’t trust her voice after not hearing it for so long. Their awkward meeting was broken by two other figures making their way down the hallway. Both had the same ginger hair. _God, how many are there?_ Hadrian thought as the two males reached them. The seemingly older one spoke to the woman. Hadrian couldn’t see what they were saying because the woman had her back towards her now, her head blocking the man’s face from view.

Soon enough they all turned towards her, confusion clear on all of their expressions. Hadrian felt her face get hot as they all continued to look at her. Finally, the woman seemed to speak.

“Would you look at my manners?” She said, “I completely forgot to introduce myself. I’m Molly Weasley, and this is Arthur, my husband.” She shook her hand and then gestured to the older man she was speaking to earlier, who reached over the little girl’s head and shook hers as well.

“This is Percy, my oldest child still living at home. I have two other boys, William, or Bill as we call him, is in Egypt doing work for Gringotts. The other one lives in Romania, that’s Charlie. This is Ginny,” She gestured to the little girl, who continued to stare at Hadrian curiously. “Please excuse her, she’s very shy around strangers. I think you saw my other three boys earlier. Ron is my youngest son, he’s around your age I expect. The other two are the twins, Fred and George. They all go to Hogwarts, as I’m assuming you do.”

Hadrian blinked after Mrs. Weasley finished speaking. _Good lord, how does one have so many children and talk so fast?_

“You do go to Hogwarts don’t you dear? I’ve never seen you around before, is this your first or second year?” Hadrian continued blinked owlishly but once again, the tension was broken as the three boys bounded back into the hallway from the room. They seemed to be talking excitedly to their parents, soon Mrs. Weasley nodded towards Hadrian and they all turned around to face her again.

“Oh hello!” the youngest boy said. _Ron, probably._ “I’ve never seen you before, how old are you? Is this your first year as well?” He walked forward and held out his hand, Hadrian shook it.

“You’re awfully quiet dear, is there something wrong?” Mrs. Weasley said soundlessly.

Hadrian smiled sadly and then gestured to her ears, pointing at one and shaking her head. The woman’s eyes grew large before looking at her with pity. Hadrian diverted her eyes, she hated when people pitied her, and looked instead to the little girl who still continued to stare at her curiously.

Ron was looking between Hadrian and his mom, seemingly confused.

“She can’t hear anything… She’s deaf.” The woman seemed to say sadly. Ron and the rest of his family’s eyes grew wide, just as Mrs. Weasley’s had done before. Hadrian would have laughed at their expressions but for some reason, she didn’t find it all that funny. To hear it, or rather see it, put like that was strange. Hadrian was surprised when she felt a lump in her throat. _It doesn’t matter. It’s not permanent or anything._ But Hadrian was starting to have doubts. _What if it is permanent? What if I’m like this forever? I’ll never be able to hear the birds sing in the morning. I won’t be able to hear people speak. I won’t hear myself speak!_

Hadrian was hyperventilating.

She started to sweat and her body was starting to shake badly. She saw the Weasley’s concerned faces before the familiar darkness took over and Hadrian felt her body hit the wooden floor of the hallway.

***

Hadrian woke up with a familiar feeling of grogginess, trying once again to recall where she was. As soon as she remembered she groaned and covered her face with her hands. _God, this is so embarrassing!_ She thought and reached out to grab her glasses. Hadrian put them on, closing her eyes and letting out a painful hiss as they slid across her cheek. _Great, another bruise for the collection._

She opened her eyes to see blue eyes staring back at her. She let out a strangled shriek and jerked backward. Eyes wide she stared at the little girl that was now making herself comfortable at the bottom of her bed. _Ginny_ , Hadrian remembered. Said girl looked at her for a few more seconds before taking out a dry erase board and a handful of colorful markers from a bag sitting next to her that Hadrian hadn’t noticed before. Ginny placed the board between them and spread out the markers before stopping and looking up expectantly at Hadrian.

Hadrian furrowed her eyebrows, _what does she want me to do?_ Ginny frowned and then handed her a pink marker, taking a blue one for herself. Popping off the cap and placing it beside her, she wrote in childish scribbles:

**Hi.**

Hadrian frowned but uncapped her marker as well and wrote back after several seconds:

**_Hello._ **

Hadrian looked up and saw Ginny smiling at her. She turned her attention back to the board and continued to write.

**My mom says that you can’t speak because you aren’t able to hear anything.**

**_Yes, that is true._ **

**How did it happen?**

**_I had an accident. I fell from a high place and landed wrong._ **

**Oh, I’m sorry.**

Hadrian was about to write back that she shouldn’t be but Ginny continued to write.

**I bet you would have a pretty voice if you wanted to speak.**

Hadrian smiled and blinked tears out of her eyes, she stared at the red-haired ten-year-old. _God, I feel like such a sap._ Hadrian thought as she soundlessly laughed. How ironic, the first time that she can remember laughing, and she can’t hear it at all? Hadrian wished that she could have had a nice childhood like she expected Ginny to have. What was it like to have both your parents and siblings? To live with people that love and cherish you, rather than beat and chastise you?

Ginny’s face brightened at the sound of her laugh and she gave a blinding smile before drawing more on the board.

***

Time went fast, and that afternoon, the girls drew colorful doodles of fairytales and made up stories. Ginny wrote about the funny things that happened at their house and stuff that they did while she was growing up. Hadrian, not wanting to shatter the small child’s blissful ignorance, told her stories about the mystery books that she would love to read and get lost in, rather than her own childhood stories. And before Hadrian knew it, the sun was starting to set outside. Mrs. Weasley had come in an hour after Ginny had, with toast and eggs and tea. Hadrian had smiled apologetically for the trouble she had caused them after fainting like that. But Mrs. Weasley had told her it was no trouble at all and had invited her to go school shopping with the rest of their family the next day. Hadrian had graciously accepted. Not knowing the first thing about everything that they would need, or where to find it.

Ginny’s brother Ron had stopped in a couple of times as well, but he would mostly just sit near the doorway while Ginny would write and talk out loud about her stories at the same time. Sometimes, Hadrian would glance over to where he sat momentarily, and sometimes he would be fidgeting with an instrument that looked like a guitar, only much smaller. Hadrian wondered what it was, she had never seen anything quite like it before. She supposed Ron was rather attractive, for someone with orange hair. She had never really thought about that color before, especially on a head. But it seemed to suit him nicely, and it matched the light dusting of freckles that adorned his face. And his blue eyes and height weren’t a bad addition either.

Hadrian would feel her face heat up every time she caught herself staring. She hated blushing. It makes her feel venerable. When she was a child the only times that her face would heat was out of humiliation or anger. Attraction wasn’t something she had ever needed to deal with.

She had never been around many boys her age except for at school, and the kids always avoided her there. Or was it the other way around? Hadrian found herself too tired to care most days. She wasn’t ready for a relationship anyway and this newfound ‘crush’ was a strange feeling to her after a life of isolation. Luckily though, he never seemed to notice her looking, or at least he didn’t mention it.

The door opened a few inches, and Mrs. Weasley’s head popped in, stopping Hadrian in the middle of a chapter. She didn’t care how many times she read a book, the really good ones always seemed to hold her attention and helped to distract her from reality for a while. Though, that wasn’t needed as much now that she was away from the Dursleys, but why stop a good habit?

Hadrian slid out from beneath the covers, still dressed in her nightgown that she had changed into shortly after waking. It wouldn’t do to ruin the only nice clothes she had, seeing as how she would probably need to wear them when they went out tomorrow.

Her bare feet touched the cold wood floor and Hadrian shivered before gliding over towards the door to slide the chained lock open.

Mrs. Weasley stood there with a tray full of chicken soup, crackers, sausages, tea, and a large slice of a lemony looking pie. Hadrian stared at the tray in disbelief before she was hastened back towards her bed by Mrs. Weasley.

“Now, you shouldn’t be out of bed just yet young lady.” Hadrian read her lips as Mrs. Weasley adjusted the tray on top of her quilt-covered legs. Hadrian had explained to Ginny about her easy ability to read peoples lips when she had asked her how she could understand what people said when talking to her. She supposes this is why they had gotten more comfortable when speaking around her.

Hadrian smiled gratefully at her as Mrs. Weasley straightened again and used the sign language for thank you, something useful that Ginny had taught her that afternoon. Mrs. Weasley smiled, albeit sadly and patted her on the cheek. “Think nothing of it, dear.” She said before left to join her family downstairs.

***

Hadrian stirred drowsily and rolled over to her side as she felt something prod at her arm. After the filling dinner Mrs. Weasley had brought her last night, Hadrian had easily fallen asleep. A few seconds passed and the thing prodded at her again, this time at her cheek. Hadrian scrunched up her face and opened one eye to stare back at blue. Ginny poked her cheek again from her kneeling position by the bed.

“Get up! We’re going to leave soon!” her lips soundlessly shaped. Her blurry face looked bright and excited. Even though she wasn’t old enough to go to Hogwarts yet, Hadrian knew that she must be happy to get outside of the hotel for a while.

Hadrian reached over to the other side of the bed and found her glasses. Seconds after putting them on, she saw the door open and Mrs. Weasley walked in, dressed and seemingly ready to go. Hadrian wondered for a second if they had been waiting long for her to wake. Mrs. Weasley, upon seeing her guilty face merely seemed to chuckle.

“Not to worry dear. We haven’t been waiting long, Ron has yet to wake up in fact.” She said. “Speaking of which,” she turned looked at Ginny, “why don’t you go and get him?”

Ginny grinned deviously and dashed out of the room, ginger braids bouncing on her back. “Well Hadrian,” Hadrian was briefly surprised that Mrs. Weasley knew her name, word apparently spreads fast in this family. “why don’t you go ahead and get dressed? I’m going to go and finish getting everyone downstairs. We best be off after we eat, it usually starts to get a bit busy in the shops around noon.”

Hadrian nodded with a smile, hopped off her bed and started towards her box in the corner. Mrs. Weasley looked at it curiously for a moment before walking out and shutting the door behind her.

Hadrian rifled through her possessions. Unfortunately, her previously chosen attire had been ruined after her fainting spell and she was forced to pick out something different. She pulled out a red t-shirt along with one of her oversized hoodies, this one a worn blue color. She also found a pair of jeans that didn’t have too many holes in it, just a small one on the right leg and on the left leg, the material was thin and white.

Hadrian walked over to the mirror inside the small and grimy bathroom. She slid out of her nightgown and let out a tiny gasp at what she saw. Her whole left side was covered in black and yellow bruises, there were several scabbed cuts running along her ribcage. Her face had a large bruise on her cheek where she had fallen on twice, and there was a cut that ran from her high cheekbone and down to the side of her mouth. She turned her head and let out a muffled sob into her hand when she saw her ear. The inside was a deep red like it had been gushing with blood before someone had mopped it up. _Mrs. Weasley probably._ Hadrian thought, and she suddenly felt a huge rush of gratitude towards them, she didn’t know how she would have reacted if she had been alone on this. _I won’t cry. Not here. Not after everything they have done for me._

She decided it would be best to take a quick shower before getting dressed. As she washed, she watched the dirt and blood flow down the drain with revelation. God, her life was so messed up.

She stepped out of the shower and quickly dried her body. After rubbing her hair a few times with the towel, she pulled it back into a long ponytail and put on her t-shirt and hoodie. She wriggled into her almost-too-tight jeans and put on her white ankle socks and laced on her grass-stained trainers. After one more glance in the mirror, she headed down towards the lobby.

***

Hadrian entered the room at 9:15. All of the Weasley’s apart from Ron and Ginny were already sitting at one of the longer tables in the room. The table’s surface was still empty, making Hadrian think that they must not have ordered yet. She sat down in one of the two available chairs next to Percy’s; leaving an empty one beside and across from her. She offered him a small smile before turning her head towards the waitress that she saw enter through the dusty kitchen door.

“Ello, what will you all be eating today?” The woman asked soundlessly. It was a bit harder than usual for Hadrian to tell what she was saying because she was chewing a large wad of gum whilst talking. Hadrian looked down at the table as people ordered, but looked up again at the movement she saw from the corner of her eye.

A grumbling Ron was being dragged into the room by an energetic child. Hadrian laughed quietly and smiled at Ginny as she hopped into the seat next to her. She looked back up to see Ron slumping down into the chair in front of her, and without her permission, Hadrian felt her face start to heat. She quickly averted her eyes from his and looked down to table towards Mrs. Weasley. She seemed to have ordered for everyone and the waitress was now bustling in and out of the kitchen carrying multiple plates of eggs, sausages, toast, and fruit.

The presence of food seemed to wake Ron up a bit, and the Weasley family started to fill their plates. Hadrian was a bit overwhelmed by all of the people at the table and served herself as discreetly as possible, suddenly feeling self-conscious of her cut-covered hands. She got herself a piece of plain toast, a small serving of eggs, and a glass of water. Everyone around her was talking animatedly and eating and Hadrian assumed that it was making quite a racket.

How she wished she could hear them.

***

Once everyone finished their meals, the Weasleys disappeared back upstairs to get their trunks and bags. Hadrian stayed in the lobby, she had been worrying all throughout breakfast about how she was to pay for her things. She remembered what McGonagall had said the first time she saw her; _“I can assure you that Ms. Potter has already been well taken care of, financially.”_ She had also mentioned that when Hadrian came of age, she would be given access to her parent’s vaults at… Gringotts? Hadrian had never heard of a bank with that name before. Perhaps it was a small local one near the school?

All thoughts were pushed from her mind as she was forcefully knocked off of her feet and landed painfully on her knees, luckily she was able to catch herself with her hands before her face hit the floor. She turned around so that she was sitting and looked up. Fred and George were standing there with a football in hand, looking sheepish. Hadrian, putting two and two together, smiled reassuringly and started to stand. No sooner had she straightened did Ginny come bounding down the stairs and hug her tightly around the waist, almost knocking her off her feet again.

Ginny backed up after a few seconds and looked up excitingly at Hadrian so that she could read her lips. “Are you excited, Hadrian!?” she asked with a bright smile. “Mom says we’re going to be going to be leaving now. She even said that we could stop by Florean’s Ice Cream place if I’m good!” Hadrian laughed quietly at Ginny as she turned and started to run back up the stairs. Ginny suddenly stopped abruptly in the middle of them and looked down at the football in Fred or George’s hands (Hadrian wouldn’t be able to tell them apart to save her life.) and then to their faces with wide eyes. Hadrian could still read her lips from where she stood on the steps.

“Were you guys playing football indoors?” Ginny said, the same devious smile starting to spread across her face. “I’m gonna tell mom!” She turned and raced up the stairs, the twins hot on her heels. Hadrian laughed out loud, bringing a hand up to her mouth.

Her laughs reduced to giggles after a few moments and stopped completely when she saw Ron making his way down the stairs with a backpack slung over one shoulder and the strange guitar-thingy in one hand. He reaches the bottom of the stairs and drops the bag onto the ground, and smiled at her. She had instantly put up her mask while watching him make his way downstairs but felt her face softening as he smiled at her. She manages to return it with a weak upturn of her lips before looking around the room for something to distract herself with until the others join them. After a few minutes she glanced back at him once more, he was now sitting cross-legged on the floor; twisting the knobs on the miniature guitar back and forth, stopping to strum every now and then.

“Hey,” He leaned his back on the stone arch behind him, strumming the strings of the instrument lightly. “Is this your first year going to Hogwarts?” Hadrian nodded. “That’s cool, mine too.” he nodded and strummed for a few more minutes before looking up again. “Hey listen I was wondering-“he started, and Hadrian watched him as he stopped suddenly, apparently seeing something behind Hadrian that made his face light up in a wide grin.

Before Hadrian could turn around to see what he was looking at, a brunet flew into his arms and gave him a tight hug. Hadrian supposed that she should feel jealous but to be honest, she just felt annoyed. Do people really just throw themselves at others like that? Apparently so.

She watched the girl as she talked energetically, leaning on her knees in front of him. She was far prettier than herself; brown and perfectly straight medium-length hair that reached down to her shoulders and framed her face perfectly. She wore a light bit of makeup, though it seemed like more compared to Hadrian’s plain face. Hadrian’s eyebrows had never been plucked in her life, whilst hers were neatly shaped to perfection. On top of that, her outfit looked far more planned than Hadrian’s, with colors and patterns that went together perfectly. Ron was a few inches taller than the girl, but still not enough to actually enough to make her seem short. Really the only word to describe her height was, dare Hadrian to think it one more time?

_Perfect._

The two talked for a few minutes before seeming to remember that she was standing there. The girl turned towards her and stood, pulling Ron’s arm to help him up as well. “Oh, hello!” she exclaimed brightly with a _perfect_ smile and extended her hand. “I’m Hermione Granger.” Hadrian shook the offered hand and smiled tightly back. _Good lord, the girl even had perfect teeth!_ “Who are you?” Hadrian’s half smile disappeared faster than a millisecond, the ghost of what may have been considered friendly face gone. Ron spoke to her after catching the look on Hadrian’s face, “She can’t uhm… hear you.” Hadrian watched as he silently stuttered. She was rather grateful for someone else to be there and explain her situation. Granger looked back towards Hadrian, “Oh I see.” She seemed to say, though her face didn’t hold the same look of pity that most did after hearing the fact. If anything she seemed more curious. “She uh... she can still tell what you’re saying because she… um… reads people’s lips.” Granger smiled at that and Hadrian could practically see the gears in her head working.

“There’s a cure for that you know.” She said, and Hadrian didn’t register what she had said for a few seconds. When she did, she made sure to keep her face blank. It wouldn’t do to get her hopes up; though Hadrian felt her heart’s pulse skip a beat. “Well, it’s not exactly a _cure_ cure. But it’s just as good as, or so I’ve heard.”

“No pun intended,” Ron snickered. Granger slapped him on the arm and glared at him for a second before turning back to Hadrian. “Anyways,” she said with a last glance at Ron, who gave a sheepish smile (heedlessly ignored by Granger), before continuing. “It’s a super simple device that someone can secure to their ear and adjust volumes and things like that. They’re designed to amplify sounds and make them louder for people that are hard of hearing.”

Ron opened his mouth but Hermione slapped her hand over it. Hadrian, however, didn’t take notice to this as her mind was going a mile a minute. _I’ll be able to hear again! I’ll get to hear my voice again, I’ll know what Ginny’s laugh sounds like and how loud Mrs. Weasley’s voice gets when she catches the twins making trouble. I’ll hear all of the ambient sounds of cars and people outside and-_ Ron pried Granger’s hand off his mouth after a few seconds, “IwasjustgoingtosaythatIthoughttheyweresuperexpensive.” Ron rushed out before Granger pinched him on the shoulder. “Ow! What the bloody hell was that for?!”

The two continued to bicker back and forth as Hadrian’s thoughts took a different direction. _I wonder h_ _ow expensive super expensive is exactly? Is there a way to get early access into my vault…?_ As if reading her thoughts, Granger held a hand up to silence Ron and finally looked towards her to ask:

“You do have an account at Gringotts, yes?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big things happening in the upcoming chapters! And yes, one of them is Hadrian’s arrival at Hogwarts! Thank you for being patient with me. As for their ages, you can probably tell that I’ve changed it up a bit. Hogwarts in my story is going to be a bit like a high school. So, first years are going to be ranging from like 14-15, generally, everyone will be 14-19 years old there. I kept Ginny’s age the same as she was in the first movie, while all the rest of the characters will be around the age of the Goblet of Fire.  
> The fainting spell in this chapter might have been a bit dramatic, but I felt that it was necessary in order to convey the fact that Hadrian is now on her way to accepting that she is permanently deaf. There will be more physical and mental trauma as the story continues, so I will give warnings and update tags as I write new chapters.


	7. Of Aiding Friends

After getting a message to McGonagall (Mrs. Weasley conveniently had the number on her mobile, later explaining that it was because she got quite a few calls from her on account of the twins.) requesting permission to her parent’s vaults at Gringotts, Hadrian and the Weasleys left to do their shopping. Granger had told them that she would meet up with them in Florean’s Ice Cream Parlour in a few hours, mentioning a special sell on patterned parchment at a place called Scribbulus Writing Instruments _._

All of the places here had odd names like that: _Flourish and Blotts, Madam Malkin’s, Obscurus Books…_ Hadrian had been overwhelmed as she and the Weasleys walked through Diagon Alley. She would have never guessed that this had been hiding behind The Leaky Cauldron _._

They walked down the crowded streets and turned on a corner towards a large white and pillared building with the words ‘ _GRINGOTTS BANK’_ carved above the entrance. _One thing is for sure,_ Hadrian thought, answering her own question, _it definitely isn’t small._ They walked up the steps and into a large room with high counters and tall windows, As they continued down the middle of the room Hadrian looked up towards the ceiling to see the biggest chandelier she had ever seen (Mind you, Hadrian had never been an expert on the fancier things in life, but she was fairly certain that they weren’t all nearly that big.) They reached the end of the walkway to stop in front of a tall desk so high, that Hadrian had to stand back several feet in order to see above it. When she did, she saw an older woman that looked possibly even more austere than McGonagall, which was rather rare to come by.

The woman was wearing a navy blue business suit, much like the other female employees that Hadrian had seen while entering, with the exception for the golden nametag pinned above her breast with the words, _Mafilda Bragge_ _, Gringotts Vice President,_ engraved on it. Her hair was almost entirely gray, with the exception for a few faded, brown strands and it was pulled back into a tight bun behind her head. Bragge was scanning through a planner and didn’t bother to look up as she spoke, “Welcome to Gringotts bank-“the woman shifted and Hadrian couldn’t see her face anymore. So instead she took the chance and looked around herself once more; the employees were all stationed behind the tall counters. Most of them were on the phone, (presumably making business calls) and others were doing calculations or helping customers.

Mrs. Weasley had mentioned her son worked for this bank, _I wonder what kind of business a bank has in Egypt?_ Hadrian thought before someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She still flinched, though not as violently as she had done before, and whirled around to see the Weasleys looking at her with concerned faces, Bragge staring at her with furrowed brows.

“Yes, I see what you mean,” Bragge said soundlessly. _What are they talking about?_ Thought Hadrian as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley turned back around to talk to the woman. She could now see what Bragge was saying, though she could only catch half of the conversation with the two Weasley’s backs turned.

“Yes, I think that could be arranged… I see… Yes, well normally that would pose a problem but with this proof, there shouldn’t be any trouble getting access… Of course! Please excuse me while I go and speak to the Gringotts’ President, it should only take a few minutes to get everything in place.”

Bragge disappeared off to somewhere behind the desk, and Hadrian turned to face Mrs. Weasley who was speaking to her. “-hope you don’t mind, dear. We told her about your situation and she informed us that you are able to get into your parent’s vaults early, due to your disability. As long as you purchase the hearing aids within the next forty-eight hours of opening your account, you should be fine. Mafilda has just gone to speak with her boss to get the papers in order.”

Hadrian nodded and Mrs. Weasley smiled, “Wonderful! Well, shall we all go and sit down?”

***

Hadrian and the Weasleys had chosen to sit on the small couches and chairs that were placed outside in the spacious hallway next to Mafilda’s office. They hadn’t been there for more than ten minutes before the door opened and Mafilda came out, carrying a large stack of papers. Someone else exited the office as well, a man wearing a white pristine coat and glasses. His brown hair was cut close to his head and it made his angular face stand out. Despite his sharp features, he wore a friendly smile. A clipboard was tucked under one arm and Hadrian noticed her name on it.

Mafilda and the man walked over towards Hadrian, “Ms. Potter, this is Dr. Abbott. He is an ENT up at St. Mungo’s Hospital.” Dr. Abbott gave Hadrian a toothy smile and extended his hand, which she shook hesitantly. “Mrs. Bragge has been telling me about your exceptional faculty for reading people’s lips in order to communicate, you must get your observative nature from your mother.” Dr. Abbott’s smile dimmed somewhat at the mention of her. “Yes, well. Their deaths were a shame but we are running on a busy schedule here.” Mafilda interrupted insensitively. Dr. Abbott looked taken aback but soon replied, “Yes, of course. If we may borrow your office, Mafilda, I will examine Hadrian’s ear and diagnose her symptoms.”

“Of course,” Bragge replied stiffly.

“Very well,” said Dr. Abbott turning to face Hadrian fully, “Shall we? This should only take but a few minutes.” Hadrian nodded and entered the office, sitting down in the chair in front of Bragge’s desk. Dr. Abbott placed his clipboard on the table and retrieved a medical bag from on top of a short bench near the wall. “Like I stated before, this is a fairly short process. The bank requires signed proof from a professional before ratifying early admissions for younger depositors who need loans, or people with physical or mental deficiencies that require special treatments, such as yourself.” Hadrian winced at the last part, but Dr. Abbots gave her an encouraging smile. “Don’t be nervous, I do this for lots of people.”

But Hadrian didn’t wince because she was nervous. She didn’t like to think of herself as more damaged than she already was. She wouldn’t give people like the Dursleys the satisfaction of acting broken. But she was, more than someone should be at her age. More than anyone should be.

The examination consisted of Dr. Abbotts poking and prodding at her ear with metal instruments a couple of times, pausing every now and then to write small notes down on his clipboard. After about three minutes, Hadrian saw him walk around the desk and sit down on Mafilda’s chair. He skimmed through the pages one by one before taking an inkwell pen that sat on the desk’s surface and writing his name in sloppy cursive on two pages.  He smiled and handed her one of them. “There you are, that’s just a letter that you can give to Mafilda. It explains your condition and the reasons you need early access to your parent’s vaults.”

Hadrian smiled as to thank him and they made their way towards the door. He placed his hand on the doorknob but didn’t open it, instead he looked back at Hadrian with a sad smile. She furrowed her brows and tilted her head curiously before he spoke soundlessly, “I think I have something that you would like to have.” He set his bag down on the floor and pulled out a wallet from his coat pocket. Inside, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Hadrian and patted her shoulder before opening the door. Dr. Abbots gave a curt nod to Mafilda before disappearing down the hall.

Mr. Weasley talked with Mafilda for a few more minutes in which Mrs. Weasley came over to her. “How did it go, dear? Well, I hope?” Hadrian smiled and nodded before handing her the diagnosis letter. “Oh, wonderful! Arthur and I will give this Mafilda and have her open your parent’s vaults.” Mrs. Weasley folded the letter and patted her on the cheek before joining Mr. Weasley and Bragge at the end of the hallway.

The twins had left somewhere and presumably taken Ginny with them so she and Ron were left alone. He stood up as she walked over to the couch he sat on and she smiled at him. They both sat down and glanced around awkwardly in the silence, Hadrian took out the folded photograph that she had stuffed in one of the pockets of her hoodie earlier. She saw Ron’s curious expression from out of the corner of her eye. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Mrs. and Mr. Weasley rejoining them in the hall. Hadrian replaced the photograph back inside her pocket before looking up.

“Everything is all set, dear.” Mrs. Weasley said smiling, “Mafilda has set it up so that you will get an allowance of one hundred and eighty-five pounds a month, until the day you come of age. And don’t worry about having to pick it up each time, the money will be sent directly to you while you’re at Hogwarts. Now, the hearing aids are about two hundred and twenty pounds, which is why Dr. Abbotts mentioned in the diagnosis letter that you would need an extra one hundred pounds at least to be added to the original amount. You’ll have plenty of money left to get your school things as well. Speaking of which,” Mrs. Weasley flipped open her phone to check the time. “Eleven twenty-one, we’ll still be out before the big crowd gets here. Shall we?” She smiled brightly and the three started down the hall.

***

“Where are those boys?” Mrs. Weasley said while walking up the steps to the ice cream Parlour. After picking up Hadrian’s money from the front desk, Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, Ron, and she had picked up their school books from Flourish and Blotts (Which had turned out to be a regular bookstore, only with five times as many books as one would normally have. Hadrian had only just restrained herself from shrieking in delight.). After finishing at the bookstore, Mrs. Weasley had informed them that they were going to be stopping by Madam Malkin’s Attire for All Occasions to have their uniforms fitted after meeting Granger, Fred, George, and Ginny at Florean’s.

As they walked through the entrance, Hadrian saw the others already standing by the counter. It was long and the sides were paneled, the top’s surface was taken up by display cases, some consisting of desserts Hadrian had never seen before. The place wasn’t relatively large; the floor was checkered in black in white and the walls were a pale yellow, making it appear smaller than it really was, even with the absence of seating. A menu hung above the counter that had _Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour_ written above a colorful list of ice cream flavors and other sweets.

Hadrian looked back towards Mrs. Weasley who was now making her way towards the small group, “What did I tell you about _keeping your phones charged_?!” she seemed to shriek, and for once Hadrian was glad that she couldn’t hear. The man behind the counter seemed to be trying to keep a laugh in, making Hadrian think that this had happened many times before. She turned her attention back to what the Weasley’s were saying, head turning back in forth like a tennis match in order to read each person.

“Your father and I bought you those devices for a reason! How else am I supposed to know if you’ve gotten kidnapped or something else has happened to you?!”

“To be fair mum,” Started George,

“We wouldn’t be able to call you-“Fred Continued,

“If we had been taken-“

“Or worse,”

“Would we?”

Over the days that Hadrian had spent with the Weasleys, she was used to Fred and George’s way of conversing. Still, though, she still found herself holding in giggles when she looked between the furious look on Mrs. Weasley’s face and the twin’s smug ones. Finally, Mrs. Weasley seemed to deflate with an exasperated sigh. Normally she wouldn’t have let this down so easily, but Hadrian expected that she was tired from today’s activities.

They all ordered their ice creams before getting the bill, which Hadrian had insisted on paying to make up for all of the things that the Weasley’s had helped her with since arriving at The Leaky Cauldron. As they ate on the steps of the Parlour outside, Hadrian thought about how much her life had already changed since leaving the Dursleys, she could hardly believe it hadn’t even been seven days ago. Tomorrow, Hadrian would board the train at Kings Cross Station and start a new life in Scotland. If someone had come up to her a week ago and told her that this was how her life would start to play out, she would have told them to look for another publisher because the story was just too unreal to be believable.

Even now, sitting near the streets of Diagon Alley, eating ice cream surrounded by Granger and the Weasleys, she cannot believe it. The only thing that she hopes, for now, is that when she wakes up tomorrow, it will not have been a dream.

***

“Welcome to Madam Malkin’s Attire, we create, design, and revise to fit every, and all types of occasions. How may we assist you today?” an older lady walking towards them asked.

Mr. Weasley had taken Ginny, Fred, and George back to the bookstore to pick up the twin’s required material, while Hadrian, Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Granger had come to Madam Malkin’s. It had easily stood out from the other buildings; the front of the store was painted dark purple and had a large display window filled with colorful dresses and a tux underneath a pink-lettered sign. Two doors were on either side of the curved window that led inside.

The interior of the shop was cozy and dim, light pink paper and brown bricks lined the walls. At the end of the room hung a wide purple curtain, standing in front of it were two short stools. A tall mirror stood on one side of the room and a dressing screen on the other. On the floor was a large basket filled with sewing supplies and fabric scraps, measuring tapes and scissors lay in random places around the room.

A young woman around the twins’ ages was finishing at the register with two other customers; a boy stood next to an older woman with both blonde and brunette locks. The boy looked like he might have been Ron’s age but he stood much shorter compared to Ron’s five foot and seven inches. His hair was the first thing that Hadrian noticed about him however, it was a white-blonde and slightly darker at the roots. It laid in a perfect and messy just-got-out-of-bed style, making Hadrian wonder how long he spent in front of the mirror in order to make it look that way. The boy wore a black leather jacket with a plain white t-shirt underneath and dark blue jeans. The jacket and sneakers both had accents of gold in them, and he was texting expeditiously on an expensive looking cellphone, slouching slightly.

The woman, however, stood with perfect posture, albeit stiffly, beside him. She wore a grey suit with an A-line skirt, a green printed peplum-waistcoat on top. She wore simple brown heels, gold underlying the bottom sides. The top layer of her hair was twisted back and out of her face.

Mrs. Weasley caught sight of them and was quick to respond to the older lady that had spoken, her back facing the pair. “We’re back for another year!” she laughed silently, “Ron is going to be fifteen in a few months, can you believe it?” said boy blushed a bit and coughed awkwardly, looking off to the side while stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Oh my! You’re getting to be a tall one, aren’t you?” the older lady said before turning to Hadrian, “And who is this young lady?” Hadrian smiled slightly and looked towards Mrs. Weasley. “This is Hadrian Potter, Madam Malkin.” She said and continued with a sad smile, “Something happened very recently that affected her hearing, McGonagall seems to be the only one that knows the backstory of the whole thing. She was staying at The Leaky Cauldron in a room by herself and didn’t know the first thing about what to do. I’m surprised that McGonagall just left her there like that… I suppose they have their reasons, though, always do…” Mrs. Weasley sighed and suddenly looked very tired.

Over Mrs. Weasley’s shoulder, Hadrian saw Granger clear her throat, breaking the two women’s dazed states. “Yes, well,” Madam Malkin started, her thoughtful face transforming into an excited smile. “That will be Hogwarts uniforms for the lot of you then?” At the three kid’s nods, she clapped her hands together. “Wonderful!” she said and bustled off towards a rack displaying different patterned and colored fabric samples. While she talked silently and glided around the room for supplies, Hadrian looked back towards the people at the register. However, they were not there any longer and as she turned around completely, she saw them exiting the shop. The blonde boy was holding a thin rectangular package and texting on his phone. The woman seemed to be reprimanding him about something and after a moment, Hadrian saw him slid his phone into his back pocket with a huff.

Just as the pair were turning to leave, the boy casually glanced back towards the shop windows and saw her looking at them. The boy’s eyes had the most curious color of grey. Hadrian hadn’t ever seen anyone with grey eyes before, she hadn’t known it was possible. She blushed suddenly when she realized that she had been staring at his face that whole time, and darkened, even more, when the boy smirked playfully and winked at her before crossing the street with the woman. _Winked_ at her! _What in the world was that about?_ Hadrian thought as she turned back around, face losing it’s pink as fast as it had come.

“-the same thing as the rest of the years.” Madam Malkin was saying to Mrs. Weasley. “Personally, I think that it would be fun to change it up once and a while, but Dumbledore insists every year that they should remain the same for “traditional reasons” or what not.” Madam Malkin sighed, she gestured for Ron to stand on one of the footstools and was now taking measurements. “I suppose he has a point, but it is a shame. I can think of so many things that would make them more “hip” as you kids might say.” Ron looked over towards Hadrian and then both bit their lips in order to contain their laughter. She looked at the stool next to his where Granger was now standing. The young woman that had been helping the blonde pair earlier was now fitting her for, what Hadrian assumed would become, a grey pleated skirt.

***

Hadrian, Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Granger left the shop forty minutes later. After Hadrian had gotten measured, Mrs. Weasley had told them their room numbers at The Leaky Cauldron and Madam Malkin had informed them that their outfits would be sent to them early the next morning. The small group met up with the others shortly afterward, and they all headed home with multiple packages containing everyone’s books, writing supplies, book bags and backpacks, and a few small toys for Ginny on account of her good behavior.

They ate dinner after spending a few hours getting everyone’s trunks packed and ready for the next morning. The Weasley’s had graciously lent Hadrian Percy’s old trunk after he bought a new one for himself while shopping. Once fully packed, her trunk had only been filled halfway. The few articles of clothing that were acceptable to wear on weekends were folded in a bulky pile, books stacked on top. Her pencils, notebooks, and other random supplies were placed next to everything. She met the rest of the Weasleys in the lobby around eight o’clock for a late dinner, though she didn’t end up eating much. Halfway through their meal, a man came to their table and requested her to follow him to the front desk. Hadrian did so cautiously, shrugging slightly as a response to the Weasley’s questioning looks.

The man led her towards a large desk near the front door, on it was a small package with her name written on top. Hadrian wondered what it was, it certainly wasn’t the uniforms, for the package was square and it looked to be no bigger than Hadrian’s fist. And besides, they weren’t supposed to get there until tomorrow morning… so what could it be? She had no idea.

  _Unless…_ Hadrian thought slowly, staring at the package with wide eyes. _Unless it’s from Dr. Abbott._ She reached and picked up the small box with shaky hands, turning it over, searching for the label. Her heart skipped several beats when she found it:

**From: Dr. Abbott**

**St. Mungo’s Hospital for Maladies and Injuries**

**St. Mungo’s Hospital, London, England.**

**To: Miss Hadrian Potter**

**The Leaky Cauldron**

**Number One Diagon Alley, London, England.**

***

“Are you ready Hadrian?” said Mrs. Weasley from her kneeling spot in front of the chair that Hadrian was seated in. Mr. Weasley stood by the door of Hadrian’s hotel room, watching quietly, but she could see the excitement in his eyes. Percy, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny were all waiting outside so that they could get the hearing aids adjusted right, without a lot of noise and distractions.

After the package had arrived, Hadrian had gone back into the center of the room and rejoined the Weasley’s at the dinner table. They had all been watching Hadrian’s back as she stood at the desk, and they continued to stare at her with questioning looks as she sat back down. Hadrian hadn’t wanted to interrupt their meal, but after a few minutes Ron had finally reached under the table and grabbed the package that she had sat beside her. She had just taken a bite of mashed potatoes when she saw him lunge. She had set down her fork quietly and tried to keep the ginormous smile off of her face as he read the shipping label aloud:

“To Miss Potter, From Dr. Abbott, St. Mungo’s Hospital…” Ron had trailed off and looked up at Hadrian’s face. Gone was the mischievous face of a prankster and in its place was an expression full of seriousness and hope. Hadrian smiled at him slightly and looked down the table to see the rest of the Weasley’s exchanging silent murmurs and excited looks. After that, their whole family had wanted her to put them on right away. But Hadrian had insisted that they all finish their dinner, she didn’t want anyone to go to bed hungry because of her.

Once they finished eating, they had all but run up the stairs. And that is how Hadrian finds herself with Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, and the rest of their kids waiting anxiously outside the door, about to put on the devices that would have her hearing again.

Hadrian nodded slowly as an answer to Mrs. Weasley. The woman handed her one of the aids, they were shaped much like earbuds; the ones that circled around your entire ear, only cordless, and it had a thin wire with a tiny speaker attached on the end of it. She stared at it for a few more moments, then she looked up at Mrs. Weasley’s watery but hopeful and undeniably happy face. Hadrian managed a smile of her own, but her nerves made her body shake almost violently. _Okay,_ Hadrian thought as she looked back down to the device in her hands, _I’m going to close my eyes and count to ten, and when I open them I will put it on._ Hadrian closed her eyes, and breathed deeply as she counted:

 _One... Two… Three…_ Hadrian thought of the first day she remembered losing her hearing, only one week ago. _Four… Five… Six…_ She had learned so many things from the Weasley’s even without her ability to physically listen to them, including what it felt like to be safe and taken care of. Maybe even loved.  _Seven… Eight… Nine…_ Hadrian took a deep breath and let Mrs. Weasley’s already familiar scent of perfume and soap calm her nerves. _Ten._

She opened her eyes to see Mrs. and Mr. Weasley’s faces smiling warmly and encouragingly at her. Hadrian returned it with a large, genuine smile before reaching up and attaching the hearing aid to her ear. She felt the wire slide into her ear canal and shivered slightly at the unfamiliar feeling. Mrs. Weasley watched her face carefully, and once Hadrian nodded, she carefully attached the other aid onto her opposite ear. Hadrian nodded once more before they both turned on the devices at the same time.

Hadrian slowly adjusted the volume on each ear until it was comfortable for her. Her breath stuttered in her chest as she heard the urgent whispers behind the door outside. She glanced towards at the direction of the sound before turning her head towards Mrs. Weasley’s hopeful face. Hadrian took a stuttering breath before she spoke; voice raspy from its forced silence.

“Hi.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters are going to have some important parts as well, *cough* kings cross *cough*. There are also going to be two extra chapters this month, one for Halloween (In honor of James and Lily Potter.) and one for one of my reader's birthdays (Oct. 13th). Thank you for reading!


	8. Starting a New

“HADRIAN! RON! Come on guys, you’ll be late to the station if you don’t get down here soon!” Ginny yelled up the hotel stairs, much to the displeasure of the sleeping guests. Hadrian stumbled out of her room, tugging on her blue hoodie with one hand whilst closing the door with the other. She made it towards the top of the staircase shortly before Ron, who came bounding down the hallways much like he did the first day Hadrian had met him. His Ukulele in one hand and his jacket in his other.

Hadrian had asked Ron about his instrument shortly after putting on her hearing aids last night. Mrs. and Mr. Weasley and she had exchanged hugs (Mrs. Weasley crying happy tears the entire time, Hadrian had also found herself blinking tears of gratitude away.) shortly before the other Weasley’s crashed into the room. The seven of them had spent almost an hour asking Hadrian questions about herself. She supposed this was fair, she had learned so much about them during the week, unable to tell them anything about her own life in return. Hadrian had left her past out of the conversation, luckily no one had noticed in their elated states.

They didn’t stay up late that night, despite Ginny’s pleadings, Hadrian didn’t want anyone to be tired for their travels the next day. Mrs. Weasley had wholeheartedly agreed with her, thankfully, and they had all bid their goodnights to each other at eleven PM.

After a restless night of sleep, Hadrian had slipped out of bed a bit later than she had intended. She was still getting used to the noises as she laid in bed and couldn’t stop thinking about her journey to Hogwarts. The twins had mentioned that everyone took trains there, Scotland was surprisingly closer than Hadrian had once thought. After an eight-hour trip through the countryside, they would arrive in a place called ‘Hogsmeade station’, a little town made up of shops and diners near the school.

Eventually, she had fallen asleep to the sounds of crickets and the cars driving by outside. With no means of setting an alarm, Hadrian had slept an hour later than she had wanted. She had quickly rushed to get ready and pack her new uniforms that had been delivered outside her door. She had wanted to try them on before getting to the school, but time was not on her side this morning.

Ron and Hadrian made their way down to the lobby, where the rest of the Weasleys were waiting with their trunks and various carry-on items. Granger and her parents were standing amongst them, Hadrian had never met them before but she could now see where Granger got her looks. Mrs. Granger was a tall woman with brunette curls. Her skin was pale, but not so much that it looked unhealthy. She wore light makeup just like her daughter, and the blue dress with white polka dots that she wore was pressed neatly. Despite all of the perfection in her features and clothes, her face was spread in a wide smile.  _With perfect teeth,_ Hadrian noted silently.

Mr. Granger had short brown hair, much lighter than his daughter and wife’s. He wore a dark green sweater with a plaid white shirt underneath, tan khakis and brown shoes. He stood a few inches taller than his wife, so he was relatively tall. He also wore a wide smile while conversing with Mr. Weasley.

As they got to the bottom of the stairs, Granger ran up to her and gave her a hug. Hadrian’s eyes grew wide and she stiffened, not used to so much physical contact with people. Granger backed up after a few seconds, hands still on her shoulders. “Hadrian, they told me about your hearing aids! I’m so glad they worked for you.” Hadrian glanced over to towards the Weasleys, the twins met her gaze with the same sheepish faces as before.  _Whatever, it’s not like I can keep it a secret or anything._  She thought as she looked back at Granger.

“Thank you, Granger,” Hadrian replied quietly, “It was…um... nice of you to tell me about it.” She was still not used to talking as much as one normally would be. Even with her voice back, she never did much of it while living at the Dursleys. What was the point? She would always be ignored anyway.

Brushing those negative thoughts away, Hadrian backed up a step so that Granger’s hands fell from her shoulders. Not wanting to seem rude, she gave her a small smile before glancing back at the Weasleys who were all busy conversing with the Grangers and each other. Things seemed so casual with them all, it made Hadrian feel a bit jealous.

“You can call me Hermione, you know,” Granger said suddenly. Hadrian turned to face her once more, looking at her with furrowed brows. “Everybody here does. Well, sometimes they call me ‘Mione. Ron in particular, but either is fine. Better than Granger anyways, sounds a bit hostile, don’t you think?” she continued in a matter-of-fact voice. Hadrian blinked owlishly. “Here, let’s try this again,” Granger stuck out her hand, “Hello! I’m Hermione, Hermione Granger.” Hadrian looked at her hand for a moment before shaking it, Granger looked at her with an expectant look on her face. “Hi Gra- _Hermione,_ ” Hadrian corrected herself, “I’m Hadrian, Hadrian Potter.” Both girls looked at each other with blank expressions before bursting into giggles.

“What’s so funny?” Ron asked, walking over to them. “Nothing.” The two said in between laughter. Ron raised an eyebrow before going over to sit on the steps behind them. “They’re going to be talking for a while,” he explained, as he picked up the Ukulele that sat leaning up against the banister. Hermione walked over and sat on the stair next to him, Hadrian stood there awkwardly before Ron gestured her over.

“Come on, I want to talk to you about something.” Hadrian smiled a bit before sitting down on the ground in front of the stairs, legs tucked underneath her. “Alright,” Ron cleared his throat, “I meant to ask you about this earlier… Do you know about the Hogwarts houses?” Hadrian furrowed her brows slightly and shook her head. “Yeah, I figured. Well, it’s a super simple system really.” He started, quietly strumming the strings of the ukulele absentmindedly, “Okay, so basically, on every student’s first day at Hogwarts the teachers set up a test. It judges your IQ score and sorts you, based on your personality and goals as a student, into one of the four houses.”  _Four houses..?_ Hadrian thought  _I wonder…_  “Do the four houses have something to do with the animals on the Hogwarts emblem?”

“It had everything to do with them, actually,” Hermione said suddenly. “Do you mind, Ron?” Ron shook his head, continuing to play the instrument while watching the two. “Awesome, so the four animals on the Hogwarts crest represent the four houses in the school. I’m sure you’ve figured that part out already. The first one is the lion, it stands for Gryffindor.”  _What in the world is a Gryffindor?_ Hadrian thought, and Hermione must have seen her confused expression because she went on to explain, “Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. They are the last names of the four people who founded the school in nine hundred and ninety A.D, over one thousand years ago.”

 _Oh, that makes sense, but…_ “What’s the difference between them all?” Hermione smiled slightly before continuing, “The difference is, each house represents different goals and personalities. See, the founders figured that if the students of Hogwarts were divided up into four different ‘sections’, if you would, they would be easier to teach and keep track of since students have to stay there the entire school year. Each house has a Head of House, they are the teachers that are assigned to supervise that specific house. Professor Minerva McGonagall is in charge of Gryffindor, Professor Filius Flitwick is for Ravenclaw, Professor Pomona Sprout for Hufflepuff, and up until recently, Professor Horace Slughorn for Slytherin.”

“Until recently..? Who is the new Head of House?” Ron answered suddenly, “Severus Snape.” Hermione sneered at the mention of the name. Hadrian furrowed her brows and looked at Ron, “What’s so bad about him?” Ron shrugged slightly, “He’s not  _so_  bad actually…” Hermione’s eyes grew wide as they turned to Ron, “Not so bad!? He is the most prejudice teacher there is!” Hermione exclaimed before turning back to Hadrian, “He  _always_  favors the Slytherins, his own house! No matter what they do, in his eyes, they are all perfect little snakes!”

“Hermione, your only saying that because he is the only teacher that ever gave you a B- before,” Ron stated casually, still strumming. “I am NOT!” Hermione screeched and Ron shushed her before looking behind Hadrian’s shoulder to the Weasley’s who were still carrying on. “You are too,” Ron continued in his carefree tone, “you had never gotten anything other than A’s before going to Hogwarts last year, and he was the only one that gave you anything other than that. Now, don’t take this the wrong way. You are amazing at every single thing that you try to do, remember last summer, when you beat Fred in that Volleyball game when we were staying at the shell cottage? You hadn’t even played before!” Hermione huffed and crossed her arms, “And your point is?” Ron chuckled lightly, “My point is, Hermione, you are so uptight about your grades that you always forget to live a little! Brighten up! You’re fifteen, not fifty.” Hermione wrinkled her nose, “I suppose your right… I have started to notice that I am a bit obsessive when it comes to studying…” Ron laughed incredulously, “A  _bit_  obsessive? I still remember your cranky attitudes after staying up all night, preparing for an exam that you already know the answers to by heart.” Hermione gave a tiny smile, “Yes, well, just you wait, Ron!” she said while standing, “I’m going to be the liveliest person at Hogwarts this year.” Hermione finished, brushing off her skirt and heading over towards her parents.

Ron sighed while watching her go, “Don’t judge her for it, she’s always been ambitious like that.” He shook his head, “It’s a good trait for people to have normally, but Hermione, well. As you just saw, she tends to take it a bit overboard.” Hadrian nodded slightly, “Hey! I heard that!” Hermione called from across the room. “Anyways, come on guys. We’ve got to get to the station!”

***

The drive to the train station went by quicker than Hadrian thought it would. Perhaps it was because she was too busy taking in the sights of London’s streets to keep track of time. Ron would point out buildings that he and his family had visited, Hadrian listening and watching with avid attention. She was a tourist of her own city, and it was a wonderful feeling. She knew that this trip wouldn’t be as special if she had seen it all with the Dursleys first, luckily, she didn’t have to worry about that.

Before she knew it, the Weasley’s SUV was pulling into the parking lot outside of Kings Cross Station. Mr. Weasley checked his watch as everyone scrambled out and informed the large group that they had fifteen minutes before the train departed.  _Fifteen minutes._ Hadrian repeated to herself as she looked towards the station’s large entrance.

There was a cool fall breeze whipping through the trees and her hair. Her oversized hoodie rippling in the wind, her cheeks and nose flushed pink from the cold. The rustling of leaves in the trees, and the faint sound of a train’s horn blowing through the air from the station. Hadrian did not wish to be anywhere else. This was everything. She grabbed the handle of her trunk in a tighter grip before rolling it closer towards the car, where the Weasleys were unloading the last of their things.

“Hey, Hadrian! Come help me with this last one, would you?” George called from the open back of the van. “Of course.” Hadrian leaned her trunk up against the side of the car before trotting around to the back. George was crouched inside the back of the car, hoisting up one end of the trunk. Hadrian took a tight hold of the other side before backing up a few steps, George held onto the other with one hand before jumping out of the back. “So, what do you think of it, eh? Pretty big?” he asked while backing up towards the rest of the luggage. “Very. The city is so beautiful!” Hadrian replied as they set down the trunk.

Then: “You’ve never seen the city before?” George asked suddenly. Hadrian froze halfway through straightening when she caught her mistake. Quickly recovering, she stood and placed her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. “I-no, I mean, no I haven’t. There wasn’t any reason to come here, that’s all.” She stated, not looking in his eyes but instead on the giant clock that was built into the station’s structure.  _It wasn’t a whole lie, just a half-truth._ Hadrian reasoned with herself, though she didn’t dwell on it for long because Mrs. and Mr. Weasley called all of them into place.

The station was enormous. That was the only word Hadrian could come up with as she and the Weasleys walked through one of the many entrances. The inside was bright with daylight but sheltered slightly from the wind outside, giant windows covered the top-half of the tall walls. Huge tunnels opened on either side of the station, walls continuing on the sides before opening to the London city. The walkways between the ditch of the railway were wide, Hadrian could hardly see them however because of all the crowds of people. Hadrian was short. She had never been especially proud of this fact, but it had been easy enough to live with it most of the time. That being said, however, she couldn’t see any part of the train due to the hordes of people, only the smoke that was escaping the steam pipe.

Hadrian continued to walk at a brisk pace, not wanting to lose the Weasleys. They stopped near one of the train doors, Fred and George were the first to board. After allowing their mother to give them each a wet kiss on the cheek, they hoisted their trunks into the car. “You two be good now!” Mrs. Weasley called after them, “Don’t blow anything up this year! And for heaven’s sake, George, do keep an eye on your little brother and make sure he doesn’t roller skate to class!”  _Roller skate to…?_ Hadrian thought as she watched the twins disappear down the hallway of the car.

Mrs. Weasley turned to Ron, who was grinning widely as she hugged him goodbye. “You're just getting so big!” Mrs. Weasley cried, “Promise me you’ll write.” Ron patted her on the back, “Every week, mum.” They parted and he gave her a kiss on the cheek, before pulling his trunk onto the train. Mrs. Weasley turned to Hadrian, “And you dear, promise me you’ll write to us?” Hadrian was taken aback, surprised she replied, “Um, yes. I suppose- I mean if you really want me to.” Mrs. Weasley gave her a watery smile and pulled her into a tight hug. “Of course dear, of course! Oh, how wonderful.” Hadrian smiled slightly. “Ron is very lucky to have friends like you and Hermione.” She whispered into her hair. “That’s really-thank you Mrs. Weasley.” She gave a light chuckle before releasing her. “Call me Molly, dear.” She patted her cheek before backing up to stand next to Mr. Weasley.

Ginny ran up to her and hugged her around the waist. “I don’t want you to go!” she cried, “It’s been so fun playing with you. You’re not going to be back for a whole hundred years!” Hadrian laughed lightly before crouching down to Ginny’s height. “Hey, listen,” she said quietly, the child turned her tear-streaked face towards her. “It’s not really that long. I’m going to go and learn things and you get to stay here with your mum and dad.” Ginny didn’t look convinced, “Tell you what, I’ll send you some candy from Hogsmeade if you promise not to cry anymore.” Hadrian told her, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “We’ll see each other again real soon okay?” Ginny nodded and gave Hadrian a weak smile, “There we go such a pretty smile.” The girl laughed and grinned even wider. “I love you, Hadrian.” She said, hugging her again. Hadrian paused for a moment, taking in the foreign words before replying, “I love you too, Ginny.” She whispered and squeezed her one more time before standing.

She looked up to see Mrs. Weasley watching them, eyes full of tears. Hadrian gave them one last smile before boarding the train, George walked towards her from an open compartment and helped her with her trunk. She gave him a grateful smile before turning to look out the door once more. A loud whistle blew as the clock on the wall marked eleven o’clock, and the train started to move forward. George and Hadrian stood there, watching Mrs. and Mr. Weasley and Ginny wave goodbye from the platform. “Are you going to miss them?” Hadrian asked as the train picked up speed and the three figures became smaller. “All the time,” he replied with a small smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They’re finally off to Hogwarts! So, how do you like the story so far? Sorry if it’s moving along a bit slower than normal fanfics, to be honest, I’m not quite sure how long this one will be. Nevertheless, I hope you are enjoying it so far.


	9. The Scarlet Engine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra/early posting for one of my reader's birthday (theslytherinprincess)! I will still be posting another on Tuesday. Happy birthday! :)

After the station disappeared from view, George led Hadrian down the hall and into the compartment that he had come from. He slid the door open for her and let her enter before closing it behind him. When he tried, George could be a real gentlemen. Hadrian had told him as such but he had just laughed it off, replying ‘It’s just proof that I’ve spent too much time with Bill over the summer.’

 Ron, Hermione, and Fred were sitting on the benches. Ron was leaning his back on the wall next to the window, one leg on the floor, the other bent and on the bench. He was playing a lively tune on his Ukulele while watching Fred play solitaire on the opposite seat. Hermione was tucked in the other corner of the bench where Ron was sitting, face buried in a book that Hadrian noticed as one of their school texts.

“Hey guys, look who I found.” Said George as he walked around to adjust the luggage atop of the rack to make room for Hadrian’s. He took one glance at her height before lifting the luggage up for her. Ron chuckled at that, and Hadrian gave him a glare that didn’t have any malice in it. George plopped down on the bench next to Fred, “Just helping you out, after all, you can’t help it if you’re the size of a twelve-year-old child.” Hadrian’s mouth dropped, “I am _not_!” Everyone in the compartment chuckled and Hadrian glared at them all, “Oh really?” Fred asked, looking up from his cards. “Alright, how tall are you then?” Hadrian crossed her arms and huffed, “What does it matter?” She mumbled. The twins laughed and Hadrian found herself trying to cover up a smile. “Hey, it’s not my fault I have short genes.” She pouted. “No pun intended,” Ron added and Hermione looked up from her book to narrow her eyes at Ron. “If you don’t stop making terrible puns…” She said threateningly.

“Aw, come ‘on ‘Mione,” Ron said nudging her leg with his sneaker. Hermione wrinkled her nose and swatted his foot away, “No! I put up with it when you decided to tell them all the way to the station, but now I want to read. And I can’t do that with you making stupid puns that make me want to throw you out the compartment window.” Ron put his hands up in surrender, “Alright, alright. No more puns...” He leaned back and looked out the window thoughtfully.

“I had a crazy dream last night...” he said after a few moments. Hadrian looked at him, “Really, what was it about?” He sat up, leaning his elbows on his knees. “I was swimming in an ocean of orange soda.” They all blinked at him. “Turns out it was just a Fanta sea.” Hadrian had to jump to the other side of the compartment in order to stop Hermione from throttling him.

***

“Somehow, this train seems to be going a lot slower than last year.” Hermione groaned, looking slightly green in the face. Hadrian was about to say something when shiny blonde hair past out of the corner of her eye. Hadrian straightened. _That’s the same boy that I saw at Madam Mankins!_ “Hey guys, who was that that just passed?” Ron looked at her from his lounging spot on the bench, opening one eye he asked, “What did they look like?” Hadrian returned his gaze, “Um, blonde hair… almost white. Ah…. Pale... skin?” Hermione lifted her head from where it had been leaning on the back of the seat.

“Do you mean Draco?” Hadrian furrowed her brows. _Draco.._? _Draco_ Malfoy _?_ Hadrian had forgotten that McGonagall had mentioned that he went to Hogwarts. “Yeah...?” Hermione sat up straight, her body tense. “How do you know about him?” she asked in a forced calm voice. Hadrian glanced at the compartment door and then back at Hermione. “I saw him in one of the shops yesterday, you remember,” she replied “Madam Malkin’s. He was there with whom I assumed was his mother… Why?” Hadrian asked, taking in the girl’s rigid posture. “Nothing.” She responded quickly before taking a deep breath, “Nothing at all, just… curious… is all.”

Hadrian narrowed her eyes at the brunette, who was now making a show of rummaging through her bag. Before she could think about carrying on with the conversation, the door to their compartment was slid open. “Well well well…” drawled a mundane voice. Hadrian and the rest of the kids in the compartment looked up to see the smirking face of Draco Malfoy. “Speak of the devil…” Fred muttered, Hadrian glanced at him before turning back to the blonde. “What do we have here?” he said slowly while peering around the compartment, mischief dancing in his grey eyes. “What do you want, Malfoy?” Hermione asked crossing her arms and standing. Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her, “Is this the rest of your little posse of Weasels?” He asked, leaning on the side of the open car door.

The air was tense. Hadrian eyed the two teenagers as they stood there staring challengingly into each other’s eyes. “Are they the only others that are willing to be around you, Granger?” He asked taking a step forward, Hermione stood her ground, face blank of all emotions. “That’s right, with your nose always buried in some book or other. Filling your fat head with useless information that you will never use, just to make up for the lonely evenings spent alone inside the Gryffinbore common room. And all because nobody wants to hang around a deadbeat, now, do they?” He sneered.

Hadrian had jumped up before she knew what she was doing and stood between him and Hermione. “Leave her alone, Malfoy,” Hadrian said quietly. Malfoy’s eyes flickered with confusion before filling with teasing malice once more. “Oh, isn’t this cute? It’s like a little loser family.” He said with a smirk. “I remember you, you’re the one who couldn’t stop staring at me when we were in Madam Malkin’s. Does my stalker have a name?” Hadrian willed her cheeks not to heat as she stared into Malfoy’s grey eyes. “My name is Hadrian Potter.” She replied calmly, “And I am not a stalker.” Malfoy scoffed and rolled his eyes, “Pshh, yeah. Whatever.”

Hadrian looked around the compartment, George and Fred were watching the three looking ready to pounce at any moment. Ron had stopped lounging and was now sitting up straight, spectating the encounter. Hadrian turned back towards Malfoy and Hermione, “What’s the matter, Malfoy?” Hermione taunted, “Too scared to pick on the snakes in your own compartment? If I hadn’t known better, I would have said that you looked relieved when you left your parents at the station. Having daddy issues again, are we?” she sneered. Malfoy’s smirk faltered and his cheeks turned pink. “Too much of a coward to stand up to him? Strutting around and acting like your some big important person… but guess what, Malfoy?” She said, taking a step towards him and pointing a finger at his chest, “You will never be anything but an arrogant, half-witted, insufferable jerk.” She exclaimed, poking him in the chest with every word.

Malfoy stood there blinking for a moment, face burning, before muttering “Yeah, whatever nerd.” He sneered and walked away briskly. Hadrian frowned at his retreating back. _That was odd..._ She thought before glancing at Hermione, who was still flushed and shaking with anger. Ron closed his mouth, which had been hanging open while Hermione told Malfoy off. The three Weasleys turned to look at her with surprised eyes. “Whoa,” George said exhaling a large breath as he slugged down in his seat. There was a beat of silence before Fred spoke:

“Malfoy just got owned.”

***

Malfoy didn’t come around after that, Hadrian couldn’t blame him. _He didn’t respond the way I thought he would… I wonder if Hermione mentioned a sensitive subject for him..?_ She thought. It took several hours for Hermione to cool down after their encounter, and it didn’t help that Fred kept bringing it up. “Did you see his face? It was redder than Ronnie’s freckles.” He would say, to which Ron would respond to with a carefree shrug. For the last hour on the train, Fred and George were playing a competitive game of slapjack, Ron was playing medleys on his ukulele, and Hermione was tucked back in her corner with a new book. Hadrian sat on the bench for a few more minutes, listening to Ron play, and George’s frustrated exclamations, staring at the floor all the while.

Her legs were starting to feel stiff from sitting so long and she decided it would be nice to get out and stretch her legs. Hadrian glanced up towards the door and then back to everyone else, contemplating. _Just for a few minutes…_ she thought resolutely as she stood. Ron was the only one to notice her heading towards the door, she looked at him as she slid it open. “I’m just going to step out for a bit, my legs are feeling a bit stiff.” Ron smiled, nodding his head once before turning back to his ukulele. She gave a small smile back before sliding the door closed and looking up and down the hallways.

Randomly picking a direction, she walked down the train’s thin hallway. She glanced up momentarily to see passing compartment windows. Some were packed with people, laughing and talking, others only had a few. She continued to walk down the hall, not really looking anywhere but her feet. Hadrian heard carpet muffled footsteps, but just as she looked up, she crashed into someone. She stumbled back a few steps, almost tripping before the person grabbed her arms in a secure grip. Hadrian stuttered apologies as she regained her balance, “I-I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Her wide eyes looked up to the person that was standing in front of her.

It was a dark-skinned boy; he had dark hair that was cut in a short Mohawk, his eyes were dark brown. He was tall, possibly taller than Ron, and looked to be Hermione’s age or older. He wore a dark blue sweater with blue jeans and black sneakers with red accents. A gold watch was on his wrist, it looked like it would cost a small fortune.

The boy smirked down at her, showing perfectly white teeth. Hadrian blinked a few times before realizing that they were still standing pressed together. She hastily backed up a few steps, “Um, thanks... you- yeah, thanks for catching me. Sorry for…bumping into you.” This was _not_ what Hadrian had wanted, was it too much to ask for a quiet walk alone? Someone must have it out for her in the heavens, for instead of brushing it off, the boy continued to smirk and leaned on the side of the wall, blocking her way. “You should look where you’re going, kid.” He said in a low, thick British accent. _Kid..?_ Hadrian thought, slightly annoyed at his hypocrisy. She thought about mentioning the fact that in order for them to crash into each other, he would not have been looking either. But she bit her tongue to withhold her retort, she just wanted this over with and get back to her compartment.

“Not one for talking? That’s okay, I have nowhere else to be.” He remarked. Hadrian _really_ wanted to slap that infuriating smirk off of his face. Her jaw tensed as she ground her teeth. “Excuse me.” She ground out, “ _I_ do have someplace to be, and you happen to be in my way.” The boy’s smirk just deepened, Hadrian’s hands curled into fists at her sides, nails biting into the skin. He tilted his head to the side slightly, in mock thought. “Mmmm, no.” Hadrian closed her eyes and sighed internally, “Fine.” She stated and turned around to leave.

He grabbed her arm before she could take a step, “Hey, where are you going?” Hadrian yanked her arm out of his grip. “I fail to see why that is relevant to you.” She said, backing up a step before turning around once more. He grabbed again, this time on her wrist. Hadrian whirled back around, “Leave me alone!” she exclaimed, trying to twist her hand out of his tight grip. “Relax, girl, what’s your hurry?” he asked, voice dripping with amusement. Hadrian was starting to get scared, but before she could think of what he should do she heard footsteps running towards her. “Oi! Get your hands off her, Zabini!” a familiar voice yelled from behind her. Hadrian whirled her head around, George was bounding up to her, Ron, Fred, and Hermione behind him. Hadrian relaxed instantly, relief coursing through her. Zabini’s grip loosened considerably on her wrist but he didn’t drop it just yet. “Well well, if it isn’t the Weasley flock.” Blaise remarked, “Come to save your little girlfriend from the big bad bully, are we George?” Faster than anyone could react, George slammed Zabini into the wall behind them. “You leave her alone.” He said sternly.

Hadrian had stumbled back a few steps when Zabini had abruptly been pushed and was now surrounded by Ron, Hermione, and Fred.

“Are you okay!?”

“Did he do anything to you?”

“What happened?”

They all asked frantically, Hadrian was trying to get a look at Zabini and George over their shoulders. “I’m fine guys,” she finally replied looking at them all, “thanks for coming to find me but he wasn’t going to do anything. He was just teasing me, getting on my nerves and all.” Hermione shook her head, “That doesn’t make it right though,” looking behind her shoulder with a glare. “Listen, just… Zabini has the habit of teasing all the girls like that around here. If you ask me, he’s just desperate. But, even still, you need to make it clear for him not to come bothering you anymore.” Hadrian looked behind their shoulders again to see them, “It’s okay and I’ll… straighten him out next time.” She said, “Besides, it looks like George is getting the message through pretty clearly.” The three turned around in time to see George backing up and Zabini straightening his sweater.

“This was just a warning, Zabini.” George said threateningly, “Leave Hadrian and everyone else alone, or you’ll regret ever coming back this year.” Zabini scoffed but was fast to make his exit. They all watched his retreating back until it disappeared around the corner. They silently made their way back towards their compartment, Hadrian hung back a little behind the others to walk beside George. They got within a few feet of the door before Hadrian touched George’s arm, making him stop.

 “Hey, um,” she started, looking at the floor, “thanks for doing that, back there.” She looked up at his face. She heard the door to the compartment slide closed and the others’ voices became muffled. “Oh, yeah… well it was nothing. I’m sure you would have done the same for me.” Hadrian furrowed her brows. He looked at her expression for a second before realizing what he said, “Wait- I mean…” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand before stopping, brows furrowed. “Well yeah. I suppose that would have worked.” He looked back at Hadrian before they both started to laugh. Joyous, carefree laughs that were not forced and not at all quiet. Sure enough, a few people were starting to slide their doors open to see what the commotion was about. After they calmed down a few moments after, George walked over and slung an arm around Hadrian’s shoulder, leading them back to their compartment.

Hadrian plopped down on her seat as he closed the door. Fred was now sitting on the ground, leaning on the bench Ron and Hermione sat on. They were all in the middle of a game of Black Jack when they all looked up to see the two enter. “What was so funny out there?” Fred asked, looking back to his hand. Hadrian and George’s eyes met for a second before they started to giggle again, “It was nothing,” she replied after a few seconds, laughter ceased but a smile still in place. Ron raised an eyebrow before going back to the game. Hadrian watched their concentrated faces before Hermione’s broke out into a wide grin and threw her hands up in the air, “HA! I win!”

***

“Hey guys, look!” Ron exclaimed as he pointed through the window, “I think that’s Hogsmeade station.” Hadrian walked over to the window and followed Ron’s gaze, sure enough, Hadrian saw a tall red archway going over the railway ditch in the far-off distance. “That’s the station, right, ‘Mione?” Ron asked, not taking his eyes off the barely visible structure. Hermione looked up from her book and leaned forward in her seat, “Sure is,” she replied with a relieved smile spreading across her face, “Thank god! The train seemed to take three times longer than it did last year.” Hermione, being a year older than Hadrian and Ron, had been to Hogwarts for a year already, going into her second year whilst they started their first.

Hadrian assumed that this was why Hermione was so school crazed and had stated her theory to Ron when Hermione had been whisked away for a few minutes by two other students on the train, a boy named Neville and a girl named Luna. Ron, however, had reminded her that she was this obsessed with everything that she did, and Hadrian, remembering their earlier conversation before leaving to Kings cross just agreed. _“Yes, well, just you wait Ron!”_ she had announced with a competitive (and somewhat crazed) gleam in her eyes, _“I’m going to be the liveliest person at Hogwarts this year.”_

Hadrian wondered if she was really going to follow through with her words this year as Hermione lifted her wrist and checked the time. “I’d say we have about fifteen minutes to get changed,” Hermione announced, bringing Hadrian out of her thoughts and standing to retrieve her bag from atop of the luggage rack. Hadrian waited, sitting back down on the bench, as everyone pulled out their bags and rummaged through their things, searching for their uniforms. Fred had courteously brought down her bag as well, and she waited for the boys to clear out before going through her things. At some point through all the chaos, the Weasley brothers had announced that they were going to change in another compartment, leaving Hermione and Hadrian in theirs.

Just as she had found the last article of clothing, Hadrian heard a knock on the door. Hermione, who had been in the middle of taking off her shoes, hopped over on one foot and slide it open. The blonde girl that Hermione had left with earlier was standing there with two others, one with dark curly blonde hair and the other with straight black hair. Hadrian closed up her trunk, and sat on the bench, watching the four girls interact while holding her uniform. “Oh hey, guys!” Hermione said, tossing her shoe onto the bench. “Hi Hermione, would it be okay if we change in here?” the one with black hair asked, “The boys needed our compartment,” Hermione hopped back over towards her side of the bench and removed her other shoe, “Of course,” she looked towards Hadrian, “that is to say, if you don’t mind that Hadrian.”

The three girls looked towards her corner, seeming to just now notice her presence. “Yeah, that works.” She said quietly, smoothing out the skirt that lay in her lap. “Thanks so much,” the blonde girl said in a dreamy, soft voice. Hermione finished taking off her jacket and looked towards Hadrian, “Hadrian, this is Luna Lovegood,” she indicated to the girl who had just spoken, who smiled at her. “This is Cho Chang,” she continued, gesturing to the girl with black hair who gave her a tiny wave, “and this is Lavender Brown. Girls, this is Hadrian Potter.”

The girl with curly brown hair had smiled and nodded at her, “Hello, nice to meet you.” Lavender said, “I’ve never seen you before, is this your first year as well?” she asked. Hadrian nodded, and the girl named Luna smiled, “It’s ours as well,” she replied gesturing to her and Lavender. Hadrian gave a small smile back and nodded, “Nice to meet you all.” She said timidly.

The three girls smiled, turning to their things before taking off their shoes and socks. There was silence for a few moments as everyone did so, Hermione broke the silence. “So, what house do you think you’ll be in, Luna?” Luna’s face took on a thoughtful look and she hummed, “I think I would like to be in Ravenclaw, both my parents were, you know.” Hadrian paused as she set her trainers aside, _I hadn’t even thought about that…_ she thought, sitting up. _Wait a second…_ “Hermione, what house are you and the twins in?” Hadrian was surprised that she thought not to ask this before, “Oh, we’re all in Gryffindor.” She replied, pulling off her blouse and slipping on her white button-up, short-sleeved shirt. “I thought for sure that I would be in Ravenclaw, but what my test results presented made sense.”

Hadrian was about to ask about the test before she realized that she had to take off her shirt in order to put on the uniform. Her cheeks bloomed. She had never been confident about her body, why should she be? She was not pretty or… _big_ like other girls were. Her hair was untamable, she had a thin, _too_ thin of a frame, and she had bruises covering her body. She was _damaged_ and _ugly_ and she wasn’t keen on flaunting it, naturally.

The other girls had finished changing and seemed to notice her hesitation, “We can leave if you’d like,” Cho offered. Hadrian looked at her shoes and gave a small nod, she heard the girls murmuring with each other before the door slide open and closed. Hadrian looked up and felt selfish relief that they had gone. Not wasting any more time, Hadrian quickly slipped off her t-shirt and slid on the white button-up. She was briefly surprised when it didn’t droop or flop like most of her clothing did, it fit perfectly around her small form. She kicked off her jeans before stepping into a grey pleated skirt and slipping on the grey sweater vest. She sat down and pulled on white ankle socks before tying on the new and shiny black shoes.

Hermione had mentioned before that after you are sorted into your Hogwarts house, you get ties that match their colors. Hadrian had noticed when she knotted her red and yellow striped tie, and Cho, her blue and silver. She walked over to the window and looked at her reflection; her black hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and her glasses were round and bulky on her face. The uniform fits nicely and she took a moment to appreciate her tidy appearance.

Looking back to the reflection of her face, she had a thought. Hesitantly, she brought her hands to the rubber band that held her hair. She pulled the band out, wincing a bit when a few hairs were pulled out in the process, and rolled it onto her wrist. She ran her fingers through it a few times and inspected it. The long dark waves fell a few inches past her shoulders, it was parted through the center and the slight waves framed her face. She never normally wore her hair down, except for when she slept. It would always get in the way when she did her chores or school work.

There was a knock on the door, and Hadrian turned around as she answered, “Come in!” Ron and the twins entered the compartment, they were all dressed in their Hogwarts uniforms. George and Fred wore black slacks with white button-up short-sleeved shirts. Grey sweater vests and dark red blazers were on top, along with red and yellow striped ties and black shoes. Ron was wearing much the same, only his blazer was black and he had no tie. Hadrian suspected that he would be put in Gryffindor like the rest of his family.

They all paused when they saw her, George cat whistled and raised his eyebrows. “You clean up nicely,” Hadrian giggled and swatted his arm. “Oh, shut up.” She replied with a small smile. And if George’s comment had intended to be more fond than playful, Hadrian hadn’t noticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading so far, I know I’m taking longer than I had originally thought to get them to Hogwarts. But then again there was a bit of backstory and changes that I had wanted to include. Nevertheless, I hope you are enjoying the story, I’m having a lot of fun writing it! Also, what do you think? Is there a George/Hadrian relationship coming on in the near future? We shall see! Haha :P


	10. The Sorting Ceremony

The scarlet engine blew its horn, steam escaping from the pipe as it slowly rolled into Hogsmeade station. Red and gold leaves swirled through the winds, circling in synch with the rail wheels. The shadow of the red archway passing over the train’s cars as it gradually came to a halt, calling out its arrival once more. First years piled out of the doors, lining into sections, separating from the experienced and sorted;

A group of red, loudly expressing their elation and greeting old friends with wide smiles. A cluster of yellow, exchanging welcome gifts with familiars and catching the small falling flags of fall. A faction of blue, sharing Polaroids and novels that were read over the summer months with enthusiasm. A coterie of green, partaking in the conversations of the golden islands or snowcap mountain tops of which they had visited after the sunny solstice.

The grey followed a tall man with heavy hair and beard; he wore a large coat of moleskin and spoke in a deep grumbly voice, one that boomed, loud and low as a giant’s, as it called out to students:

“Firs’ years! Firs’ years over here!” his voice easily carried through the station as Hadrian and Ron made their way through the grey masses. “C’mon, follow me – any more firs’ years? Mind yer step, now! Firs’ years follow me!”

The giant-like man led the way towards a path that went into a forest, carrying a large lantern to light the ever darkening sky. “That guy is huge!” Hadrian heard Ron exclaim quietly, so as the others around them wouldn’t hear. “It’s like he’s half-giant or something.” Hadrian nodded, only half listening for she thought that she saw parts of a building up ahead. A few of the students in front of them gasped, and as Hadrian and the rest turned the corner she understood why.

A large, almost manor-like, building stood approximately one hundred yards away. Hadrian gazed upon it with wide eyes. The estate gave off an eerie sense; the walls were built in stone, a large and covered entrance with wide double doors was built in the front. Not too far from it was an old fountain, the concrete edges cracked and covered in moss. Dead and fresh leaves were trampled underfoot as they made their way closer to the building. The front grounds had cracked stone, moss, and dirt where the grass would be growing. The school itself had hundreds of windows; all large and covered by curtains from the inside, blocking all but a few rays of yellow light to pour through. The sides of the building were also mossy, though not as much, and there were a few rose vines that wove themselves across the vertical surface. Some adorned with dark red buds, but they were scarce, Hadrian noticed, most likely due to the cold weather.

Closer and closer they got to the school, chiller, and chiller it got as they stayed out in the night air, darker and darker did it get as they crossed the cobblestoned lawn.

A large bell hung from an open tower high above the top of the school. “That’s the astronomy tower,” Hadrian heard a girl’s voice say through the wondrous murmurs of her fellow classmates. “I heard they used to do lessons up there, that is, until one of the students died from falling off it.” The girl next to her gasped loudly, “That’s horrible!” she said in a dramatic whisper, “I know. My grandad was on the force the night that it happened. It was a real mystery too, of course, the police just marked it off as another suicide case, but some people believe that she was _murdered.”_ The girl’s story was starting to attract more and more people’s attention, “Who was it?” a boy asked in a hushed whisper. The girl paused for dramatic effect, Hadrian inwardly rolled her eyes. _Do they really believe this stuff?_ “ _Myrtle. Elizabeth. Warren.”_ The girl replied. The horde of students remained silent, glancing around and exchanging wide-eyed looks with each other, and Hadrian really did roll her eyes this time.

“What are you all talkin’ about?” Came a booming voice from the wide doors. The students screamed, and Hadrian had to suppress a snort. They continued towards the doors, the giant man stood by the slightly elevated porch, lantern held high and lighting their path. The wide doors opened to a large corridor; either direction of the door led to wide stone steps that continued up the building. Down the middle, aligned with the doors, was another large hallway, this one much wider and had multiple large archways leading into different candle or fire lighted rooms. The biggest door was tall, wide, and made of dark wood. They continued to walk through the corridor and towards the door when the man came to an abrupt stop, making them crash into each other. Besides the quiet grumbles of the students, as they rubbed their noses or heads, it was quiet.

Hadrian thought she heard the noise of chatter and silverware on the other side but before she could confirm her suspensions there was a noise coming from the steps behind them.

_Click. Click. Click. Click._

They all turned around and saw a woman’s shadow walking down towards them in a swift gate. Her heels making the only noise in the hall as she passed the line of students and positioned herself in front of the oak doors. She cleared her throat and Hadrian heard the giant man exclaim something that sounded like “oh!” before trotting off and lighting the torches that aligned the walls. A few minutes later and the hall was lit, Hadrian could finally see who the woman was. The woman had her hair pulled back into a tight bun on top of her head and silver spectacles were perched on the end of her nose. _McGonagall!_ She had switched from her dress-suit to a dark green and black dress of velvet, with a body length cape that started from her sleeves and collar.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” said McGonagall. _Professor_ McGonagall. Hadrian corrected herself. “The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.

“The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced highly successful graduates. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup, a great honor. It will determine every year, which six students from the winning house will receive scholarships. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.

“The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly.” Hadrian gulped. _This is it. This is what will determine my future._ A question that she had pushed to the back of her mind during McGonagall’s speech resurfaced and she turned to Ron. “Ron? What is a scholarship?” He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by laughter. “You don’t know what a _scholarship_ is?!”

_Malfoy._

Hadrian willed herself not to punch the git in the face. Instead, she put on a sickly sweet smile and turned to him, “No, I don’t, Malfoy.” She replied in a sing-song voice. “Could you inform me, please?” Malfoy looked taken aback, he blinked owlishly for a moment before regaining his composure. “Of course you don’t,” he muttered, “A scholarship is something that high schools give out to students who do exceptionally well in school. Which means, A+ grades and extracurricular activities… stuff like that. Hogwarts gives scholarships to six selected students from that years eighth years from the House that wins the House Cup. Basically, they pretty much pay for you to go to any college of your choice.”

This time, it was Hadrian’s turn to be taken aback. She hadn’t expected him to actually tell her, and he hadn’t said it with a sneer either. In fact, he had an interesting tone in his voice, was it _excitement?_ Was Draco Malfoy _excited_ to be here? Hadrian could understand it, of course. She was blown out of her mind at the fact that she was even standing here, but _Malfoy?_ Hadrian figured that he got expensive things all the time, so why was he happy to be _here_ of all places that he could be? Hadrian searched his blank expression for a moment before doing something that surprised even her, she smiled a genuine smile at him. “Thank you, Malfoy.” She said, “That was very… nice and informative of you.” His eyes widened before be gave a stiff nod and disappeared into the crowd again, who also had wide eyes and were whispering to each other about the encounter.

A brown cat with yellow glowing eyes suddenly squeezed out through the cracked door and into the hall. Through the gap that it had left in its departure, Hadrian was able to see into the Great Hall (as McGonagall had called It.), tables were lined up with each other like really long picnic tables; the surfaces were filled with hundreds of different dishes from chicken and beef wellington to Mince pie and Cherry Jubilee. Her mouth watered at the sight of it, it was surely the most food she had ever seen in one place before. Hadrian continued to skim the hall until she saw a familiar brunet head, seated next to two ginger haired twins. She continued to look for other people that she knew. In her short search she found Cho and unfortunately, _Zabini._ Suddenly she needed to know, “Hey, Ron…” she continued to watch him through the gap. “What house is Zabini in?” Ron followed her line of vision and replied with a slight sneer on his face, a large contrast from his normally carefree expression as he hissed out his answer, “ _Slytherin._ ” Hadrian assumed that the sneer had everything to do with Zabini and nothing to do with the House, for Ron was now glaring daggers at the back of the boy’s head. She decided, right then and there, that she did _not_ under _any_ circumstances want to spend the year in the same common room as _him_.

A figure suddenly blocked her view of the Slytherin boy and she barley withheld a flinch. “The Sorting Ceremony’s about to start.” Professor McGonagall had returned. “Now, form a line,” she stated to the first years, “and follow me.”

The students shuffled around, Hadrian ended up standing behind Ron, Luna next to her on the line beside hers, and an unknown girl behind her. They followed Professor McGonagall through the large oak doors, which had been pulled open by a dirty and shaggy looking old man and the giant. The Great Hall was just as huge as Hadrian had thought when peeking through the door, it was the size of a enormous ballroom.

The ceiling was tall and arched, candles lined the stone walls all around the perimeter. The four long tables had a wide walkway in between both sets of two tables, leading from the double doors to another table that was set up on a slightly lifted platform. There was five chairs on either side of the largest one, which was set up as the center seat. An old man was sitting in it, he had a long white hair and beard, though not as heavy and messy looking as the giant man’s was. The rest of the chairs were, for the most part, filled. A few were still empty, either the occupants were not able to come, or they were late to arrive.

A podium was set up in front of the table, it was golden colored and had an owl statue with its wings outstretched molded onto it. A small stool sat just a few feet ahead of it, on the floor beside it was a small machine. Hadrian couldn’t guess what it was for the life of her. Professor McGonagall led them down the middle of the hall, towards it. Hadrian felt the eyes of the older students gazing upon them and felt her cheeks start to burn lightly. The feeling, however, was quickly forgotten and replaced with anxiety as they approached the end of the row. Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

“When I call your name, you will be attached to the Sorting Machine and sit on the stool to be sorted,” she said. _That thing was going to be_ attached _to them? With the wires and the buttons and- what in the world..._ Hadrian thought as Professor McGonagall called out the first name:

“Abbott, Hannah!”

 _Abbott? As in, Dr. Abbott?_ Hadrian mused as the girl sat down nervously on the stool. Professor McGonagall whispered something in her ear, and she nodded jerkily before closing her eyes. Professor McGonagall took the wire that lay coiled on the ground and slid the tiny needle into the girl’s neck. Hadrian winced, this was not how she expected the Sorting ceremony to go. Sure, the needle was small enough, but she had hoped that it was going to be a written out test of sorts, not… not _this_ thing. She hadn’t expected to be pierced with a wired needle that was currently being charged by a small machine.

Just then, Abbott gave a tiny shriek and jumped an inch off of the chair when she did. Hadrian and the rest of the students watched with wide and frightened eyes before the machine beeped once and announced in a rather human-like voice:

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

The first years jumped at the voice. Abbott opened her eyes with a huge, albeit shaky, smile on her face as the Hufflepuff table clapped and cheered. Professor McGonagall didn’t seem fazed at the hat’s sudden ability to speak and continued on with her procedure; she said something quietly to Abbott again before slowly removing the small wire, the girl wincing a bit as she did. The professor was quick to clear off the small dot of blood that formed on the surface of her neck before placing a circular, yellow bandage across the tiny puncture.  Abbott hopped off the seat and went to join her table, looking slightly relived that the whole thing was done with, and excited with her new House. Professor McGonagall turned back to the wide-eyed first years before clearing her throat and calling out the next name:

“Bones, Susan!”

The same process repeated before the machine announced once again:

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

The list of people continued, and Hadrian watched in fascination as each student got sorted. _How does that thing work, exactly?_ Three others were sorted before the boy named Neville was called up. A few of the students snickered but quieted quickly as Professor McGonagall gave them a stern look. The machine took longer with Neville than it had with the others before it finally shouted: “GRYFFINDOR!” Which caused Neville to jump before getting a red band aid and making his way towards his new table. Professor McGonagall called up more people before reaching another familiar name: “Malfoy, Draco!”

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and the needle had barely made its way into his neck before shouting: “SLYTHERIN!” He smirked and winked at Hadrian as he got his green bandage and went off to join his fellow classmates. She rolled her eyes and smiled slightly, continuing to listen to the student’s names and Houses being called. There weren’t many left now. “Moon”…, “Nott”…, “Parkinson”…, “Patil” and “Patil”…, then “Perks, Sally-Anne”…, and then, at last –

“Potter, Hadrian!”

Hadrian glanced at the other students, making eye contact with Ron, who was standing a few feet from her. She stepped forward and took her spot on the stool and Professor McGonagall picked up the wired needle and leaned down, “Close your eyes, and relax.” Professor McGonagall whispered before pressing the needle in. Hadrian held her breath and clinched her eyes tight as the metal slid into her skin, creating a tickling sensation. She waited. “Hmm,” a small voice said in her ear, only half prepared for it, based on the other student’s reactions, Hadrian muffled a gasp and gave a tiny jolt. “Difficult. Very difficult. Some courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There’s talent, oh my goodness, yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that’s interesting… So where shall I put you?”

Hadrian gripped the edges of the stool and thought, _Not Slytherin, not Slytherin._ “Not Slytherin, eh?” said the small voice. “Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness, no doubt that.” And instead of worrying how the heck this weird machine thing was _talking_ and _reading her mind_ , she focused on her chanting: _Not Slytherin, not Slytherin, not Slytherin…_ “No?” came the mechanical reply. “Well, if you’re sure… better be…”

 

“RAVENCLAW!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! They’re sorted! I hope you like the house I put her in, I think it fits her character better than the others. Bit of a different version of the Sorting Hat, though, I’ll admit. It reminded me of the Divergent series, but if you haven’t read those you wouldn’t understand what I’m talking about. So I’ll just stop rambling now >.<


	11. The Blue Room

Hadrian opened her eyes and smiled, _So, Ravenclaw, huh?_ She thought excitedly to herself before looking towards Ron, who was still in line to get sorted. He gave her two thumbs up and a wide grin before she looked over towards her own table; the blue and silver students were applauding and smiling widely, as were the rest of the houses, though with not as much enthusiasm. Professor McGonagall leaned down, “This will feel a bit weird.” She said and she started to pull out the wire, creating the same ticklish sensation that Hadrian had to clamp her fingers tightly on the sides of the stool to keep herself from shuddering. The professor dabbed the blood up with a cotton puff before placing a blue bandage on her neck. She nodded, and Hadrian stood up on shaky legs.

She spotted Cho, who was standing and clapping along with the rest of the Ravenclaws. She gestured to the empty seat beside her and Hadrian walked around the end of the table towards her. She sat down on the bench beside Cho, who was now talking with another student that was seated across from her; the girl had fair skin, reddish-blonde hair, and had a blue tie along with her uniform like the other older students at the table. McGonagall was still calling out names as the unknown girl spoke to her, “Hello, you must be Hadrian!” she said and she stuck her hand across the table for her to shake. Hadrian shook it and replied, “Yes, I am. It’s nice to meet you…?” The girl smiled, “Marietta.” She supplied. “It’s nice to meet you, Marietta,” Hadrian replied before looking back towards the stool when McGonagall called out Ron’s name.

Over the other Ravenclaw’s heads, she saw him get attached to the Sorting Machine before announcing:

“Hufflepuff!”

Hadrian clapped with the others as Ron made his way over towards the table of yellow and black tied students. She searched the crowd of Gryffindors to find Hermione and the twins when she did she saw their shocked faces but were nevertheless applauding with the rest. According to the Weasley’s stories, Ron was the first one to get sorted into any other house than Gryffindor. Hadrian didn’t know much about the different house’s characteristics. The Grangers and Weasleys had told her a bit about them, but with them all being in Gryffindor houses, she took them as biased opinions. Hadrian made a mental note to read up about them more in the future. For now, she sat back down to listen to the rest of her House’s chatter.

“I really recommend her second book, the plot is so different, you would think it to be a completely different author-“

“Well, my parents wanted me to go to _Beauxbatons_ this year-“

“Nononononono! No spoilers!!”

Laughter.

“Astronomy is my favorite class _ever!_ I just wish they would hold it in the tower again-“

“What about Moaning Myrtle?!”

“Oh please! Don’t tell me that you guys actually _believe_ in that silly child’s tale?”

A gasp.

“How do you explain her death, then?!”

“Really, Sue? I thought it was obvious!”

“Well, I happen to disagree with your _theory_ , Lisa!”

“Theory? It’s bloody better than just a theory! It’s supported by facts and _evidence!_ It couldn’t be clearer if she had killed herself right in front of you!”

A sigh.

“Alright, If you’re so sure about that…”

“I am!”

A huff.

“Fine! Then you wouldn’t have any problems going up to that tower and spending the night... _By yourself_?”

A sputter.

“I-I –Of course not!”

The entire table of students turned to look at the girl with wide eyes, some shocked, some frightened. “You can’t be serious!” a small girl piped up from at the end of the table. “Yes, I bloody well am!” Lisa stated with faked confidence, though the slight shaking of her voice gave her away. “Well, then I dare you-“started Sue, but was interrupted by the sudden quietness of the Great Hall and a chair screech from the Staff’s table. Hadrian and the rest of the students looked up to see that the old man with the white beard had gotten to his feet.

“Welcome!” he said. “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

“Thank you!”

He sat back down and everybody clapped and cheered. Hadrian didn’t know whether to laugh or not. _Nitwit, blubber, oddment, and… tweak?_ She thought to herself as she turned back to Cho and her friend. “Is he – A bit mad?” she couldn’t help but ask. The Ravenclaws nearest to her chuckled, and one boy replied, “Albus Dumbledore is a bit… a bit eccentric, if you would. But he came up with quite a few brilliant theories in his youth.” Hadrian looked towards the boy, he wore the Hogwarts uniform with a blue and silver striped tie. _So he’s been here for at least a year._ Hadrian thought as the boy smiled at her from his seat. ”The names Robert. Robert Hilliard.” He said, reaching a hand across the table, much like Marietta. Hadrian shook it as she replied, “Hadrian. Hadrian Potter.” She returned his smile as they both sat back down to enjoy their dinner.

Neither of them noticing the jealous looks from a certain ginger-haired teenager.

***

After a filling meal, Hadrian found herself feeling more than a bit drowsy. It was to be expected, of course, after an eight-hour train ride, the warm hall, and so much good food. After almost sixty minutes of eating and chatter, the students quieted down and Dumbledore rose to his feet once more.

“Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

“First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.” His twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. “I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that graffiti is not allowed on the school’s classroom walls or corridors.

“Football trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch.

“And finally, I must tell you that this year, the astronomy tower is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.” Hadrian laughed, but she was one of the few who did. _He’s not serious?_ She thought, looking around at the other students. Sue, in particular, looked rather white in the face. Dumbledore continued on as if he hadn’t just asked the students for their death wishes, “And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!”

Hadrian noticed that the other teachers’ smiles had become rather fixed. Dumbledore hit a button on a remote that she hadn’t noticed him holding before. The light from a large projector, built into the wall above the door shown onto the back wall behind the staff’s table. “Everyone pick their favorite tune,” said Dumbledore, “and off we go!” And the school bellowed:

_“Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they’re bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we’ve forgot,_

_Just do your best, we’ll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot.”_

 

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Hadrian was shaking with silent laughter by the time they had finished. When they did, Dumbledore turned off the projector and clapped loudly. “Ah, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. “When words fail, music speaks! William Shakespeare. And now, bedtime. Off you trot!”

A girl named Penelope Clearwater, who Hadrian learned was a Hogwarts prefect, led the Ravenclaw students through the Great hall’s large oak doors and down the corridor of which they had walked through when arriving. They followed her through doorways and up and down corridors. Finally, they reached a large marble staircase which led to a few more corridors before reaching an oak door with the words _Ravenclaw_ written on a golden plaque that hung in the center. Clearwater took out a small key with the Latin word _sapiens_ etched on the handle and unlocked the door.

The students piled into the common room; there were arched windows set into the walls of the circular room that looked down to the school grounds. The walls were made of smooth stone and the ceiling was painted to resemble a starry sky. Light blue curtains with gold ties hung at the corners and the floor was carpeted in the same shade. Bookshelves were placed around the room as well as desks, fluffy armchairs, stools, and couches. A marble fireplace was built into one of the walls and a large clock hung above the mantel. A large statue, also carved from marble, stood on the opposite wall from the entrance. It pictured a beautiful, but slightly intimidating, woman. She had long hair adorned with a diadem, and she held a scroll in her hands. Hadrian suspected that she was the Ravenclaw House founder, though she didn’t know her name. _I have a lot of reading up to do._ Hadrian thought as Clearwater stopped in the center of the common room.

“This,” She stated, opening her arms wide and gesturing to the room. “Is the Ravenclaw House common room, as I’m sure most of you had already guessed. Now, boys’ dormitory is upstairs and down to your left, girls, the same on your right.” The prefect gestured to the left and right sides of the staircases, which were positioned on either side of the Ravenclaw statue. “You will find that all of your belongings have already been brought up.

“A few more notes: curfew is at ten pm, every day of the week. Classes start at nine am sharp, you will all get your lesson schedules with your breakfast mail, as well as your own keys to the common room. Contact the Head of House if you have any questions or concerns about your schedules. And for those who don’t know already, Professor Filius Flitwick is our Head of House. I think that is all, have a good night and good luck in your classes tomorrow.” Clearwater gave them an encouraging smile before disappearing up the stairs to the girls’ dormitory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really fun to write (why isn’t funnest a word yet?)! I hope you enjoyed it, sorry it is a bit shorter than the others… I am pretty caught up with school at the moment, but I still wanted to post a chapter for you guys this week! :)


	12. The Four Founders

The first years looked amongst each other before scattering around to explore and the room was instantly filled with excited chatter. Hadrian headed straight for one of the bookshelves that stood near the entrance. She skimmed through the titles, running her fingers along the binders. _So, You Want To Learn Latin, Fun with Ancient Runes…_ Hadrian skipped a few shelves and found the fictional section. Her brows furrowed as she read the titles, which all written by the same author, Gilderoy Lockhart. _Break with a Banshee, Holidays with Hags, Travels with Trolls, Voyages with Vampires, Wanderings with Werewolves…_ Hadrian’s face was full of confusion, but she kept reading, _Year with the Yeti, The Travel Trilogy (Collection of Holiday with Hags, Voyages with Vampires and Wandering with Werewolves), Marauding with Monsters…_ Hadrian stopped, pulling out one of his books titled _Magical Me._

She opened the book and read the summary page:

 _“My name is Gilderoy Lockhart, Order_ _of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award. But I don't talk about that; I didn't get rid of the Banden Banshee by smiling at him…”_

Hadrian closed the book with a huff. _Is this guy for real?_ She thought as she shook her head and placed it back onto the fictional shelf. _I can’t believe people actually read that stuff._ Hadrian walked across the room to another bookshelf. “ _Hogwarts… Hogwarts…_ ” she mumbled quietly as she skimmed the shelves. _Aha!_ Her fingers stopped on the book titled _Hogwarts, A History_. Hadrian pulled the book out, opened the cover, and skipped to the table of contents: _Geography History, Educational History, Famous Students, The Four Founders, Headmasters,_ and _Little Known Facts._

Hadrian walked over to an empty blue armchair that was tucked away in one of the corners near the stairs. Beside it was a circular table and on top sat a large lamp. She flicked it on, illuminating the dark corner with dim yellow light. Hadrian plopped down onto the cushion and, after tucking her feet underneath herself, skipped ahead to the first topic that had caught her attention:

o0o

_The Four Founders_

_Godric Gryffindor, the founder of Gryffindor house. A fair man, he believed that any child who displayed magical abilities before their eleventh birthday should be able to attend Hogwarts. Godric valued courage and bravery, believing these were the two most virtuous abilities a person can possess. Gryffindor was the original owner of the Sorting Machine, which he and his fellow founders fixed to select people to be sorted into their houses, by telepathically seeing the qualities each founder valued the most. Gryffindor also had a sword made, which had been subject to fantastical myths of which the sword would present itself to any true Gryffindor in a moment of need. The sword became an important item a thousand years later, a symbol representing Gryffindor House’s traits of courage and bravery. He was allegedly the best friend of Slytherin before he left Hogwarts. His house corresponds to the element of fire._

_Helga Hufflepuff, the founder of Hufflepuff house. A kind and warm woman, she valued a person must possess to be sorted into Hufflepuff house are those of loyalty, patience, and hardworking above all else. She owned a fine golden cup which was fairly innocuous aside from being her possession. She was the best friend of Rowena Ravenclaw. Her house corresponds to the element of earth._

_Rowena Ravenclaw, the founder of Ravenclaw house. A sharp and intelligent woman, Intellect is a highly valued asset to the students of Ravenclaw house. Due to this, it is likely that Rowena wanted to make Hogwarts the very finest school on earth, teaching those children with the highest intelligence. Rowena also had a daughter, Helena, who later became subject to the mythical tale known as the ghosted Grey Lady of Hogwarts. Helena stole her mother’s diadem, and it became lost. It was believed to have been lost for so long, that no one alive has seen it. She was the best friend of Helga Hufflepuff. Her house corresponds to the element of air._

_Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin house. Sly and cunning, he was not unlike many of the students he brought into his house. He believed strongly that only students of pure blood (i.e., those with a mother and father from Scotland descendant) should be allowed to attend Hogwarts. Slytherin caused great dispute over this with the other founders, and it eventually caused a permanent rift with Gryffindor, which led to Slytherin’s departure from the school. Before he left, however, he created the Chamber of Secrets, rumored to have been home to a horrible mythical monster. He was the best friend of Godric Gryffindor before the rift occurred and he left Hogwarts. His house corresponds to the element of water._

ooo

Hadrian paused a moment to let all of the information sink in. There certainly were quite a few ghost tales in this school. She had only been here for one evening and she had already heard of the supposed Moaning Myrtle, Gryffindor’s magical sword, Ravenclaw’s disappearing diadem, and Slytherin’s monster. Hadrian simply brushed them off as myths and went on to her next question: _Why was Salazar Slytherin so obsessed with pure blood?_ Hadrian wondered if this type of segregation was still going on in the school, so far she hadn’t heard anything about it. Hadrian suddenly lets out a large yawn, reaching up a hand to unaffectedly stifle it. She only just now realized how tired she really was, she glanced over to the staircase that led up towards the girls’ dormitory and back to her book. Her natural curiosity won over. _A few extra minutes won’t hurt._ She convinced herself, and so saying, she settled down deeper into the fluffy cushions.

***

“Hadrian…Hadrian…”

A sigh.

“POTTER!” Said girl tore her eyes open and jumped an inch off her chair. _I must have accidentally fallen asleep while reading last night._ She thought as she looked up at the ginger-freckled face that was staring down at her. “George..?” she croaked squinting her eyes and trying to make out his blurry figure. “Yeah,” the boy chuckled, “you didn’t come down for breakfast, I was worried you couldn’t find your way.” He said. Hadrian gave him a sleepy smile, “Aww, were you worried about me, Georgie?” Hadrian asked playfully as she leaned over the chair to collect her glasses that had fallen off during the night. Causing her not to see the faint pink that bloomed on the boy’s face at her teasing comment. “Pshh, yeah right.” He chuckled, recovering. “Here, I brought you up your schedule and a muffin from the banquet.” Hadrian sat up, pushing her glasses further on her face before giving him a grateful smile. She took the paper that he held out to her, and though she never normally ate breakfast anyways, she took the muffin as well. “Thanks,” She didn’t want to seem rude.

“I hope you like blueberry,” he said smirking as he sat back on his heels in front of her chair. “I’ll make do.” She replied with a smirk of her own. She slid her legs from off the side of the chair, where she had propped them up while sleeping that night, and placed them on the ground. She took a bite of muffin before setting it on the table beside her and picking up the history book that still lay open on her lap. George stood before sitting down on the arm of the chair, placing a hand on the back and reading the title from over Hadrian’s shoulder. “Hogwarts, A History, eh? No wonder you fell asleep.” He said teasingly. “Oh, be quiet.” She said without spite, “It happens to be a very interesting read.” He chuckled, “Says the Ravenclaw.” Still laughing, Hadrian pushed him off of the side and he landed on the ground. “Oi!” Hadrian smiled and stood, placing the book on the side table and brushing off her skirt.

“You should probably take a look at that schedule of yours, its eight-thirty already.” Hadrian’s eyes widened, she really needed to get an alarm clock. Running her hands through her hair a few times and straightening her shirt, she grabbed her schedule and muffin, “Thank you so much for coming for me, George.” She said, taking his hand and giving it a quick squeeze. “I really appreciate it. I have to go get my books from upstairs, but I’ll see you later, okay?” He smiled, albeit shyly though Hadrian was too busy to notice. “Sure, no problem.” Hadrian gave him another grateful smile before running up the stairs to the girls’ dormitory.

The door was smaller than the one in the common room but still required a key. Hadrian cursed. _Maybe there is someone still in there?_ She thought hopefully before knocking. Sure enough, she heard muffled footsteps on the other side before the door handle rattled and it opened a crack. “Oh, it’s you, Hadrian!” said a familiar soft and dreamy voice. “Oh, Luna! Thank goodness,” she replied, “I was hoping that someone was still in there, I fell asleep downstairs last night. George came to wake me up because I slept through breakfast, and I just now realized how late it was. Anyways, I didn’t have the key to the dormitory yet and my books and clothes are still in there and –“Luna laughed.

“Slow down, Hadrian!” She smiled and opened the door fully, “I was wondering why you hadn’t come up last night. I was going to wake you up myself once I was finished getting ready, but I guess your boyfriend beat me to it.” Hadrian had gotten over to her trunk and was already opening it, “Oh he’s not my-“She looked back over her shoulder and saw that Luna had already disappeared into the bathroom once more. “Never mind.” She continued to search through her things before taking out her second uniform, books and book bag. She quickly glanced around the room to make sure no one else was there before changing out of her wrinkled clothes and into the freshly pressed ones. To finish her uniform, she grabbed the blue and silver tie that had been laying upon her bed from before she came in.

Hadrian then took her previously purchased brown bag after checking her schedule for the books she would need, “Mathematics… Astronomy… English… Chemistry… and History.” She mumbled to herself as she read through the list quickly. She snatched the fitting books and packed them as best she could with the rest of her notebooks and supplies.

“Oi, Luna!” she called as she sat down to tie her shoes, “You about ready?” Hadrian finished, stood, and gathered her things. “Yes, I’ll be right out!” She headed down to the common room, heavy bag hoisted over one shoulder. “Oh, shoot!” Hadrian turned around and rushed back upstairs, into the dormitory, and towards her bed. She picked up the muffin just as Luna came out of the bathroom, “Forgot my muff-” She stopped as she turned around and saw Luna. “Luna..? What are those?” She asked, having a hard time keeping the confusion out of her voice. “What?” Luna asked, “Oh! These?” she gestured to her large radish-shaped earrings. “Yeah, those. Where did you find earrings like that?” Luna smiled, “I made them!” She announced proudly, “I can make some for you if you’d like, it’s really easy!” Hadrian’s eyes grew so wide it was almost comical, “NO! I mean, um, no… No thank you, Luna. It’s really nice of you but… I-I wouldn’t want to be a copycat or anything. You have your own… eccentric style and I-I wouldn’t be able to pull it off as well as you.” The blonde smiled and offered Hadrian her hand, “Well, alright then. Shall we go?” Hadrian smiled a confused smile and took her hand, “Yeah,”

This Luna was an interesting character.

***

The first bell of the school year sounded at nine. It’s shrill tone called throughout the common rooms, classrooms, corridors, bathrooms, and the Great Hall. Students scurried through the halls to get to their classes; Gryffindors ran past the other groups to get to their first Physical Ed lessons, Hufflepuff following not far behind. The Slytherins and Ravenclaws, however, made their way to the mathematics classroom. Hadrian waved to Fred, George, and Hermione as they passed each other in the corridor. “Hey, good luck with your lessons!” she heard Hermione call out. “You too!” she replied, before heading back towards her group.

Hadrian turned the corner at a jogging pace, but before she could get any further, she heard a shout. “WATCH OUT!” Looking up she saw a flash of Ron’s face before he crashed into her. Hadrian fell backward with Ron on top of her. Her book bag had dropped and stray pencils were now rolling down the halls. “Ron, why didn’t you stop?” she groaned, feeling a slight throbbing on the back of her head. She looked down in the direction of his feet, and sure enough, the wheels of vintage-styled roller skates were still slowly spinning. “Oh.” She said aloud.

Ron looked up at her face with a sheepish smile in place, not unlike his brother’s expressions she had seen many times before. “Sorry about that, these floors are slipperier than I thought.” He muttered and rolled off of her to lay beside her on the cold stone floor. They both sighed simultaneously. A few seconds of silence and then:

“Ron?”

“…”

“Yeah?”

 “Don’t we have classes?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! There was a bit more pining George in this one. Haha, I for one think he is adorable. But yeah, their first full day of school will be in chapter thirteen! Haha :P
> 
> Also, I used text from Harry Potter Wiki for the book ‘page’ of the four founders. Most of it is from that website but I rewrote a few bits so that it would fit my story (link: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hogwarts_founders.).


	13. Knowledge is Key

Hadrian skidded to a halt outside the classroom door, still panting from where she had run halfway across the school. While taking a few deep breathes to calm her heart she peered through the door’s slightly opaque window. The shadows of the desks were all filled, except for one. Hadrian cursed. Taking one last deep breath and pulling the strap of her bag onto her shoulder from where it was slipping, she turned the handle. Immediately, all eyes were on her.

Hadrian’s face flushed as she stepped into the classroom and quietly shut the door. She glanced at the professor; he was a tall man with short grey/brown hair and short sideburns. He had sallow skin and a prominent nose. The man wore a black button-up and grey slacks along with a black striped blazer and black shiny shoes. His eyes were a dark brown and were currently narrowed at the students who dared to turn their attention to anything other than his ongoing lecture. In his hands, he held a long black pointer stick, in which he was currently lightly rapping his palm with as he tapped his foot impatiently.

“Miss Potter, may I ask the reason for your imprudent behavior this morning?” The professor said in a low, mundane voice. “Or should your classmates and I be expecting you to come prancing late into our lessons every week?” Hadrian’s face absolutely burned as she looked at her feet, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, “N-No sir. I sort of r-ran into someone, I-it won’t happen again. Sir.”

The mathematics teacher looked her up and down, taking in her disheveled appearance. “Very well, however, I will have you know that you will not get off with such excuses in the future, Potter.” He drawled. Hadrian nodded her head vigorously, “Yes sir. Of course not, sir.” The professor turned back to the empty blackboard and Hadrian scanned the room for the empty desk. When she did, she groaned internally. Of _course_ it would be in the front row. She walked over to the desk quickly, not looking at anyone. But as she sat down and took out her things, yet another misfortune unveiled itself.

“Trouble in paradise, Potter?”

A quiet, teasing voice said from behind her. “Zabini,” Hadrian greeted tiredly. “Hey, how would you like to be the lucky girl that I take to Hogsmeade this weekend?” She chuckled darkly and turning in her seat to face him, she replied, “And why, Zabini, would I want to do that?” The boy smirked like she should know the answer already, “Why _wouldn’t_ you?” Hadrian’s hands balled into fists and she had just opened her mouth to reply when a drawling voice interrupted, “I _do_ hope that this class isn’t boring you, Miss Potter.” The professor was now standing in front of her desk, bent down to her eye level. His hands were clasped behind his back and holding the pointing stick. Hadrian slowly turned back around in her seat. “I-I um, I-I’m sorry professor–“She leaned her head to the side to see the professors name that was now written in chalk on the board. “I-I’m sorry Professor Snape, I was just–“The professor leaned forward intimidatingly, “Just _what_ , Miss Potter?” His head tilted slightly to the side in mock confusion. “I-I-I...” Hadrian stuttered as she felt her face heat, “It was Zabini, p-professor, he–“

“I do not think it wise for you to get used to using excuses in this class, Miss Potter. I assure you it won’t get you very far.” Hadrian’s eyes widened fractionally, “I’m not making it up!” she sputtered incredulously. Professor Snape was unfazed by her sudden outburst and he stared at her blankly for a few moments before seemingly coming to a decision. He straightened, hands coming in front of them, holding the stick in both. “Ten points from Ravenclaw,” he announced while turning and walking back to the blackboard in swift strides, “You will do well, Miss Potter, to remember not to talk in class.”

Hadrian sat there with her mouth slightly agape. She heard Zabini snicker quietly behind her and she clenched her jaw. She focused on the back of the professors head, ignoring the boy. Professor Snape picked up a piece of chalk before writing on the board, “We will be starting with Algebra II and III for this semester. The assigned lesson for today is fairly easy,” He drawled, “Much of it will be a review for most.

“Now… Who can tell me the solution to this equation?” he asked while stepping away from the board, revealing his writing: _-2(-2c)_. Hadrian’s brain instantly started doing the math, as it always did when she would see problems such as these. She raised her hand at once. The professor simply continued to glance around the room, “Mister Malfoy,” Hadrian lowered her hand disappointedly. “4c, sir.” He said, voice dripping with confidence. “That is correct, ten points to Slytherin.” Hadrian huffed. Professor Snape wrote the answer down on the board and added another equation. “And this?” he asked the class. “Oh, oh, oh!” Hadrian rose her hand enthusiastically into the air. “Miss Patil?” Hadrian narrowed her eyes at the professor and slowly put her hand back on her desk.

“17y, professor.” The girl answered. “That is correct, Miss Patil. Ten points to Ravenclaw.” Hadrian could feel her blood start to boil and that’s when Professor Snape and she met eyes. He stared at her for a moment, calculating, before turning back to the board and writing a long equation. _Oh, I see what he’s trying to do here…_ Hadrian thought as he finished writing. He met eyes with her and looked at her challengingly, “And…this?” he asked, not bothering to look at the others and continuing to stare at her with narrowed eyes. Hadrian met his challenge and broke eye contact only to look at the board.

 _log 5 (x – 2) + log8 (x – 4) = log6 (x – 1). _Hadrian’s head was swimming with numbers as she calculated the entire thing in her head, not picking up her pencil once. It was a good thing that Hadrian’s best subject had been algebra in her old class, though she had always been the top student in her school. She rose her hand confidently after a few seconds. He looked mildly surprised at her fast timing but nevertheless gave a mock pause. She narrowed her eyes and at last, he spoke, “Miss Potter?” She smiled and cleared her throat, “May I?” Hadrian gestured to the blackboard. He narrowed his eyes further before giving a scarcely noticeable nod. She stood and made her way confidently to the board, picking up the chalk she began to write and explain:

“Log subscript five times x minus two in parentheses plus log subscript eight times x minus four in parentheses equals log subscript six times x minus one in parentheses.

“The equation is valid only if all the terms in the equation are valid. The term log subscript five times x minus two in parenthesis is valid if x minus two in parenthesis is greater than zero, which converts to x is greater than two; the term log subscript eight times x minus four in parenthesis is valid if x minus four is greater than zero, which converts to x is greater than four; and the term log subscript six times x minus one in parenthesis is valid if x minus one is greater than zero, which converts to x is greater than one. 

“The domain is the set of real numbers that are greater than two, greater than four, and greater than one. The domain is, therefore, the set of real numbers greater than four. This is a complex equation because all the bases are different. We can solve it first by graphing; we do this by changing all the bases to either ten or e. Why do we change the bases to either ten or e? Because most calculators have these functions.

“Change the original equation into an equation where all the logarithmic terms have base e.” Hadrian wrote out the new equation, so lost in the calculations that she didn’t notice the shocked stares of both the professor and students. “Let’s call the left side of the equation f times x in parenthesis and the right side of the equation g times x in parenthesis. Then solve these three equations.”

She circled the three groups of numbers.

“Graph f times x in parenthesis and g times x in parenthesis. We are looking for the point or points of intersection, the solution, if any, will be the value of x in the point or points of intersection. The graph of the right side of the equation is the set of points where the value of y equals zero. This is easy; it is just the x-axis. We then look to see where the graph of f times x in parenthesis crosses the x-axis.

“Note that the graph only appears to the right of  _x_ equals four. This is consistent with our finding that the domain of the original equation is the set of real numbers greater than four.

“The solution or solutions to the original equation is the set of real numbers where f times x in parenthesis crosses the x-axis. The x-intercepts are the solutions to the problem. You will note from the graph that f times x in parenthesis crosses the x-axis at about five and one thousand, seven hundred ninety-seven ten-thousandths.

“This means that the equation has one real solution at  _x_ equals five and one thousand, seven hundred ninety-seven ten-thousandths.”

She used the last of the chalk left to circle the answer. Taking a deep breath, she wiped her chalk-covered hands on her skirt and tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear. She turned towards the stunned professor and smirked before making her way back towards her desk.

There was silence in the classroom for a few moments as everyone continued to stare at either the chalk-covered blackboard or Hadrian. Then suddenly, from the back of the classroom, Malfoy let out a low whistle and started to clap slowly. The rest of the class started to clap as well and soon the room was filled with the sounds of applause. Hadrian blushed at the recognition and bit her bottom lip to cover up a smile. She looked up at Professor Snape, who was now staring at her with a bit of confusion.

But before long, he held up his hands to stop the commotion. “Silence,” The classroom quieted at once. “We will now begin our lesson. Turn to page three hundred and ninety-four in your textbooks.” All of the students did so instantly, save for Hadrian, who looked at the professor curiously. The man met her eyes for a moment before turning back to the chalkboard and erasing her previous work. With a drawn-out sigh, Hadrian started to flip through her book, trying to find the right page. Top of Form

Bottom of Form

 

***

Professor Snape finished his mundane lecture just as the bell rung, signaling their five-minute break before Physical Ed. “Your homework will be on the algebraic expression shown on the board. I want a five paragraph paper including three different methods to solve the equation.” The students winced as they looked at the long problem written on the blackboard. Professor Snape seemed to relish in their displeasure, “Due by Friday.” Several of the students groaned aloud. Hadrian had just finished repacking up her bag when the professor called to her, “ _Not_ you, Potter.” Hadrian just rolled her eyes and made her way over towards the desk as the classroom emptied. “Something you wanted to talk to me about, professor?” she asked. The man finished writing in his notebook before looking up at Hadrian with a blank expression. “Yes, there was,” He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, his head tilted as he watched her with calculating eyes.

“It seems… that I have underestimated you, Miss Potter.” Hadrian was taken aback by this comment, was he _apologizing_? Her face must have expressed her incredulity for the professor scowled suddenly. “I admit that I am not one known for apologies, but I _am_ a man that gives credit where credit is due.” Hadrian fought to keep a smirk off her face, “Thank you, sir.” Professor Snape’s face morphed back into its impassiveness expression, “Yes, yes…” He waved a careless hand, “Off with you now. Your next class starts in two minutes and you wouldn’t want to be _late._ ” He narrowed his eyes meaningfully at her. This time she did smirk as she replied, “Of course not, professor.” She turned her back towards the man before her face split into a wide grin.

***

Hadrian walked out of the classroom and Professor Snape watched as the door swung closed. He looked back towards the blackboard, which was now cleaned off, and gave an exasperating sigh. He leaned forward in his chair and propped his elbows on the desk, rubbing his temples and closing his eyes. He couldn’t help but think of how much the girl resembled her parents. His heart clenched suddenly at the thought of Lily, it hadn’t taken him long to notice that his new student had her eyes. However, she had an uncanny resemblance to that of her father. The black messy locks would be noticeable anywhere. _James._ He thought as his lip upturned in a sneer before covering his face with folded arms and groaning aloud.

This girl was going to be trouble.

***

As soon as the door shut, Hadrian burst into giggles. _Wow, I wish we had mathematics every day._ She thought as she tried to quiet herself and started down the corridor. She slowed down after walking a few steps, furrowing her brows. _Where was I heading to again?_ For a moment she stood there, books in hand before the school bell rang once more. Hadrian cursed as she suddenly remembered her next class, sprinting off down the corridor and stairs, towards the tall entrance.

The wide oak doors were still open from when the rest of the class had crowded through and as Hadrian ran down the hall she caught a glimpse of a student’s uniform before it rounded the corner of the building. She dashed towards the direction the person disappeared to and finally found the rest of the class. She ran her fingers through her hair for the second time that day as she let out a sigh of relief.  The students continued on as if nothing had happened, save for a few side-glances from the ones nearest to her. Hadrian let out a sigh of relief, getting a better hold of her books and looking around.

The school was large, Hadrian knew that, but as they walked along the side of the school and towards the back of the premises she couldn’t help but look around in awe; the cobblestone walkway that made up the front ‘lawn’ continued down in a wide path at the side of the building, faded slightly by dirt and grass. Surrounding the entire school’s perimeter were black birch trees, a few were scattered around the front of the school before growing thicker as they continued near the back. As they got closer to the end of the building, Hadrian could start to see the rest of the school’s grounds. As the trees got thicker and multifarious, the edges of the large premises were surrounded by the dark forest.

 _How big_ is _this place exactly?_ Hadrian wondered incredulously as she took in the cloudy blue sky and miles of flat ground. _With actual grass this time._ She pondered, thinking back to the cobblestoned lawn that they had just turned off from. On the far side of the grounds, Hadrian saw a small cabin; it seemed to be made entirely of stone, save for the odd shaped and shingled roof. Small steps led up to a large bulky and wooden door and smoke rose from the top of a tall chimney. The entirety of the structure was covered in moss and dirt. Beside the house was a small pumpkin patch with scattered with orange, yellow, and white colored squash. A worn dirt path led from the doorstep and into two directions a few feet from it, one going towards the patch and the other leading into the dark forest. Hadrian saw what she thought was an old wooden and slightly crooked sign that was directed towards the mass of trees, but she was several yards away from it and couldn’t read from where she was standing. _I’ll have to make a mental note to go and explore some more after classes._ She thought as the cluster of blue and green tied students continued down the slight hill that the school was rested upon and down towards the large grass field.

A woman with short and silvery wild hair was standing a few steps away from where the hill leveled out and had a football in hand. The class gathered around in front of her. Up close, the woman looked very intimidating, Hadrian thought as she got a better look of the professor. Madam Hooch, as it had said on her schedule earlier, wore a black polo shirt with the Hogwarts crest stitched onto the top left side. Long and tan Bermuda shorts along with long white socks and black football shoes made up the rest of the outfit. The woman’s eyes were unusually vivid and black, Hadrian wondered if she wore contacts.

“Hello class,” Madam Hooch said loud and energetically “I am Madam Hooch, your Physical Ed teacher and the coach of the Inner-House Hogwarts football teams. Today we will be learning the basics of the sport and find out who wishes to try out for the House teams.

“Before we begin, however-“

“As much as were all enjoying the show… Potter, don’t you think you should tuck in your shirt?” A snide voice said from behind Hadrian. Said girl whipped around to come face to face with Zabini once more. She looked back down to her uniform to see that indeed, her shirt was untucked from beneath her skirt and her sweater vest was crooked. She turned her face back up to see Zabini smirking down at her, haughtily. She glared at him as she turned back around, fixing her shirt as discretely as she could.

“Yes, Miss Potter. While I am not as strict as other professors are in their classes with attire, I do require for you to keep your uniforms neat.” Behind her, Hadrian could hear Blaise and a few of the other Slytherins chuckle. “And Mister Zabini,” Madam Hooch said, “Five points from Slytherin for interrupting a professor.” Zabini gaped at her and the green tied students stopped laughing at once, but before they could protest, Madam Hooch spoke again. “Now, as I was saying, before we begin our lesson today, I would like to know… who here has played football before?”

The students looked among each other before a few raised their hands, Malfoy is one of the first. Hadrian looked towards him with a mildly shocked expression, _a Malfoy plays football?_ She thought as she watched him with his hand raised. Grey eyes met hers for a moment before he winked playfully and turning back towards the professor, lowering his arm. “Alright it seems like we don’t have as many from this class, but that is perfectly alright. I’ll get you all shaped up and ready in time for the first Inner-House game.” Several of the students didn’t bother to withhold their unenthused groans.

“Now now, we will have none of that in this class.” The professor reproached. “Football is a very popular sport in many countries, better known in some places as soccer. The sport was originated in England and has only grown in popularity since. Since the majority of you haven’t played before, be assured, this will not affect the way you play. I will teach you the rules, and I want to see _all_ of you training hard.” Her eyes surveyed the students, lingering on Zabini and his friends.

“NOW,” Madam Hooch shouted loudly, causing a few students to jump, “Everyone onto the field!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first day of school is always exciting! Hahah...Heh…ha. Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed the new addition to this story! Hey, btw guys, I’m on Tumblr and I’ve started posting some aesthetics that I’ve made for the characters in this story. Feel free to check them out! @theeighthhorcrux8
> 
> CREDIT: The math equation I got was from sosmath.com because I’m not smart enough to solve those kinds of problems myself yet. :P


	14. A Turn of Events

“I can _literally_ feel my legs starting to fall off,” Hadrian heard Malfoy whine as they made their way towards the bleachers for a break. Madam Hooch had informed all of the students with the rules of football before crowding them all onto the playing field. It was located behind the school and was surrounded by bleachers on all sides, a large wooden archway built through the bottom of one where the players would enter from. The bleachers themselves were painted and decorated for each of the Hogwarts Houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Banners hung from the railings of them with the Inner-House teams’ mascots.  

Hadrian sat on one of the benches, not caring in particular as to which House it was for. Some of the students were meandering around the edges of the field, others collapsing onto the nearest bench with a cooler to guzzle down the provided water bottles. As Hadrian sat, panting slightly from exertion, she unscrewed the lid to a bottle of her own and sipped lightly while scanning the other students with her eyes. A small group of kids were still practicing their football passes as they ran around one corner of the field. She stopped watching only when she heard a drawn-out moan coming from a short way beside her. Hadrian turned her head to see Malfoy, who was still making a show from dragging himself up the bleachers before _gracefully_ plopping down beside her.

Only Malfoy would still manage to be graceful after forty minutes of running aimlessly around a football field. He had his head back and was leaning his back against the seat behind him, panting dramatically. His forehead was beaded slightly with sweat and his blonde fringe had still managed to stay perfectly styled if only a bit damp. _How_ he managed to still look this good was beyond- _wait, did I seriously just think that Malfoy was attractive?_ Hadrian thought. _Well, he is…_ another part of her brain reminded her, _yeah, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that he’s a git,_ she mentally replied. Her thoughts were disrupted when a pale hand clamped onto her shoulder.

“Eww, Malfoy!” Hadrian wrinkled her nose in disgust as she used her index finger and thumb to remove his wrist, “Your all sweaty,” This made the tall blonde sit up straightly with a mortified expression on his sharp face, “Malfoys do not _sweat_! They _perspire,_ ” he announced before sighing and relaxing back into his lazy position. Hadrian chuckled, “Oh, _do_ forgive me, Lord Malfoy,” she teased placing a hand over her heart, “I have seemed to have forgotten, wouldst thee liketh a drinketh from the cooler?” Malfoy played along and, with his eyes closed, waved a careless hand in the air. “Yes, do fetch me a bottle of the nectar of the gods.”

Hadrian looked at him in surprise as she handed him a water, “You played Kings Quest?” Malfoy smirked as he unscrewed the lid, “Of course, hasn’t everybody?” Hadrian frowned slightly, “No, they really don’t,” She replied matter-of-factly. When Hadrian had been living in Number Four, Dudley had gotten the computer game called _Kings Quest_ for Christmas. However, like all of his other toys, he grew tired of it within the first few days of playing. Hadrian had been collecting the trash from all of the rooms when she had found it at the bottom of his bin. Since that day, Hadrian would play the game on Dudley’s computer when the Dursleys would go out.

Malfoy chuckled, bringing her out of her reminisce, “I wonder why you were put in Ravenclaw?” he said teasingly, earning a push off the bench. “Oi!” Hadrian laughed as she remembered what had happened just that morning with George. “Don’t tease me about my House then,” she replied in the same tone. He smirked, “Maybe I like getting pushed around by you, Potter.” He countered with a playful wink.

Nevertheless, Hadrian felt her face heat. “Shut up!” she exclaimed. “Oooh, does someone have a _crusshhh_?” he continued, batting his eyes. She scoffed and shook her head, “You wish, Malfoy,” Hadrian replied before pouring the rest of her water over his perfect blonde hair. The boy let out an inhuman shriek, hands flying up to his now drenched head. Several of the students whipped their heads in their direction at the noise. Hadrian herself had collapsed into violent laughter, arms wrapped around her middle and bent in double. “ _WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?_ ” Malfoy continued to shriek, running his hands through his hair, which only caused it to look more attractive.

Hadrian stopped laughing and scowled, “I thought it was obvious,” she spat. He seemed taken aback by her sudden change in mood and looked as if he were about to say something but was interrupted by a loud whistle. “Back on the field, kids!” Madam Hooch shouted as the students groaned and dragged themselves off of the bleachers.

***

“Alright class, that’s good for today.” Madam Hooch announced as the Slytherin’s made yet another goal. The students, sweating and out of breath, jogged to the edge of the field and stood in front of the woman as she marked things down on a clipboard that she had been carrying throughout their lesson. A few moments later she looked up. “Okay, now let’s see…” she read down the list on her board once more, “Zabini, are you going to be playing this year?” she asked the boy, who smirked. “That depends, which position would I be getting?” “You would be a forward.” The woman replied.

Zabini stroked his chin in mock indecision, “I suppose that would be adequate…” Hadrian scrunched her face up in disgust and disbelief. Madam Hooch, however, didn’t take any notice to either of the two, “Very well, Zabini.” She wrote his name down before assigning another player to their Inner-House team. Along with Zabini, two other boys with the last names of Crabbe and Goyle were added to the Slytherin’s Inner-House team as forwards.

Hadrian opted to look around the grounds as she listed more students. The sky had been dark and cloudy all day but had started to clear up during their last practice. The wind was starting to pick up and it rustled her hair and skirt, cooling her skin. Hadrian closed her eyes as a cool gust of wind blew over them and breathed deeply. The air smelled of cold and pine and it nipped at her nose and cheeks, turning them rosy.

“Potter?” Hadrian opened her eyes at Madam Hooch’s call. “Would you like to be the defender for Ravenclaw?” Hadrian’s eyes widened in disbelief, “I-I’m sorry?” Madam Hooch smiled and wrote down her name as she walked back towards the school, “Wonderful,” she called over her shoulder “the next practice will be on Friday at eight a.m. sharp. _Don’t be late._ ” Hadrian continued to stand there in shock. _Me? Why_ me? She wondered. _I’ve never played before! I don’t know the first thing about this stuff!_

“Madam Hooch!” she called as she broke away from the rest of the students and jogged up to the woman who was now halfway up the hill to the entrance. “Madam Hooch!” she repeated, the woman didn’t stop walking but looked over her shoulder. “Yes, Potter, what is it?” she asked. “Well, I-um…” she stuttered, _how do I tell her that I hadn’t said yes?_ “Yes?” the woman had stopped and was now staring at her expectantly as if daring her to refuse the spot. “I-I was just going to ask when the-um-the… I was just going to ask when the next practice was.” She said defeated.

The woman gave a satisfied smile, “Eight a.m., Friday.” She repeated. “Ah,” Hadrian replied dumbly. “Is there anything else?” Hadrian opened her mouth to try again but the woman merely raised an eyebrow. She closed it and looked down at her shoes, “No,” Hadrian muttered, “it’s nothing.” She was surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. “Ravenclaw just gained a very good player.” Madam Hooch said before nodding once and turning to leave once more. Hadrian sighed dejectedly as she watched her new coach disappear through the school doors.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

***

The Great Hall was loud and filled with students from every year. Hadrian walked through the wide open doors and scanned the room for her friends. Hermione, George, and Fred sat at the Gryffindor tables near the end that was closest to the staff’s table. Along beside them was Ron, Luna, and a boy Hadrian knew to be named Neville. She hesitantly walked down the row of the tables wondering whether she could go and join them, her decision was made for her when George suddenly stood up and waved at her with a grin on his face. The others turned in their seats to see her and waved as well, “Hadrian, hi!” Hermione called as she patted the empty seat beside her.

She smiled widely before making her way towards the bench. “Hey guys,” Hadrian replied as she sat down. “How are your classes going?” George asked as he prepared a pb&j sandwich on white bread. “Fine…” she replied absentmindedly before wrinkling her nose. “How can you eat that stuff? It’s terribly unhealthy for you.” He smirked before taking a large bite and chewing and swallowing. “Maybe not but it’s _really_ good though,” he moaned. Hadrian felt a large grin on her face as she shook her head fondly. “Try it,” he said suddenly and she wrinkled her nose again. “No! It’s like eating pizza dough with sugar on it.” She shuddered in disgust.

“ _Come on_ …” he cooed like one would to a toddler. “No!” Hadrian giggled as he tickled her side. The two laughed as she tried to retaliate his attack on her sensitive sides and the others at the table watched with knowing looks, the two teens completely oblivious to the murmurs. “Stop! Stop!” Hadrian wheezed and George sat back up straight, still laughing. They eventually calmed down and Hadrian met Hermione’s eyes who had her eyebrows raised and a smirk on her lips. “What?” she asked confused but the other girl just shook her head and continued eating. Hadrian looked at George who was blushing at something Ron had said but before she could ask anything more there was large commotion up at the staff’s table.

Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and another man with a purple turban were talking in loud whispers. They seemed agitated. A few of the other students looked up at them as well, including Hadrian and her friends. The headmaster and Professors continued to speak before Dumbledore said something to them that caused the professors’ faces to melt into those of pity and sorrow. At the same time, they turned to look in the direction of Hadrian, who furrowed her brows. She made eye contact with the headmaster before he seemed to shake his head sadly, whisper something to McGonagall, and then exit the room. Hadrian looked towards her group whom all seemed to be just as confused as she was. George opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by footsteps coming towards them. McGonagall walked towards them, or more specifically, Hadrian, with a troubled look on her face.

“Miss Potter,” she said quietly so as to not attract attention, which was useless considering the fact that everyone in the Great Hall was now watching the two. “I need you to come with me to the headmaster’s office, please.” Her lips were pressed into a thin line and her brows were slightly knitted together. Hadrian glanced at her friends, who looked just as confused as she was before turning back to the professor. “Um, o-okay.” She said just as quietly. _Did I do something wrong?_ She thought worriedly as she stood up and followed the professor out of the hall.

The only sound as they made their way towards the headmaster’s office was the clicks of Professor McGonagall’s shoes as they met the cobblestone floors in the corridor. The two continued to walk in silence, though Hadrian’s mind was full of questions. Somehow, she thought it better not to talk at the moment. _Oh my gosh, I did do something, didn’t I? Was it because of what I did in Mathematics? Maybe Professor Snape was more annoyed than he let on and he went to the headmaster?_ She felt guilty about presuming this about the professor, from what she could tell so far, he was a nice man, if only a bit grueling. However, Hadrian’s mind was not in a state of rationality at the moment.

The two reached a tall oak door and a plaque with the words _“Headmaster’s Office”_ written on it and in smaller letters below it _“Albus Dumbledore”_ , which McGonagall opened and Hadrian saw that it lead to a spiral staircase. She glanced up at the professor who didn’t return her gaze and simply paused for a moment before starting up the staircase. Hadrian hastened to follow. The staircase was a bit longer than she had expected but nevertheless, the two reached the top within a few moments. When they did they were met with another door, this one shorter than the one below and no plaque attached to the front. Professor McGonagall lifted her hand to knock before hesitating with her hand in front of it. The woman glanced at Hadrian before giving her a sad smile and knocking on the door thrice. A few seconds of silence past before Hadrian heard a cheerful, rumbly voice call out “Come in!” McGonagall opened the door and stood to the side in order to let Hadrian enter first, who mumbled a “thank you,” before taking a few small steps into the parchment and lemon smelling office.

The room was circular, much like the Ravenclaw common room but much smaller in size. The walls were made of stone and covered in multiple paintings with pictures of, whom Hadrian assumed were, the old headmasters of Hogwarts. On a slightly raised platform stood a large desk with an expensive throne-like chair behind it, and on it sat the headmaster. He had his hands folded and placed on the desk which had a bowl of lemon drops, an inkwell, and a few books along with a small lantern sitting atop. A piece of parchment law in front of him along with a photo of someone whose face Hadrian couldn’t make out from where she was standing.

McGonagall stood behind her and it was only then that Hadrian noticed the other Professors standing in the room as well. Professor Snape was near the corner of the room with the man with the turban. Madam Hooch was also there, which surprised her because she wasn’t someone who you would call an actual professor. _So what do all these people have in common?_ Hadrian wondered before coming up with the obvious answer suddenly: _Me_.

She shifted awkwardly from foot to foot as the headmaster continued to stare at her with thoughtful eyes. After a few moments, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat caused the headmaster to sit up straight and clear his throat. “Thank you for joining me today, Hadrian,” Dumbledore said in a soft and kind voice. Hadrian looked up from her feet, where she had opted to look at rather than staring back at the headmaster. “O-of course, sir.” She replied in a stutter of nerves. The man chuckled warmly, “No need to be edgy, Miss Potter, you have done nothing wrong.” Hadrian relaxed considerably as a huge wave of relief washed over her before tensing up a bit more as she wondered why she was called.

The room stayed silent for a few more moments before Hadrian decided to ask, “Um, sir, if you don’t mind me asking…” she started hesitantly. “If I am not in trouble, why am I here?” The man gave a strained smile before looking back at the professors as he spoke, “I’m afraid that there has been some news about your family.” The headmaster stated quietly and Hadrian’s heart skipped multiple beats. _The Dursleys? What do they want? How did they find me here? Are they sending me back?_ “It brings me great sorrow to tell you this, but I am afraid that there was an ancient involving one of your relatives.” Hadrian’s thoughts stopped and she focused only on the headmaster as he said his next words:

“It is your aunt, Hadrian,” He said with a soft voice and eyes filled with sadness, “She has died.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don’t hate me too much for the cliffhanger :P It will all be explained in the next chapter so don’t worry, haha. The next one will contain more plot!


	15. The Lies You Tell

_“It is your aunt, Hadrian, she has died.”_

Hadrian stood still in absolute shock not believing her ears. _Aunt Petunia…is dead?_ She walked over to the chair in front of the headmaster’s desk and sat, not caring if it seemed rude. _Aunt Petunia is dead. How did she die?_ As far as Hadrian knew, her aunt had been in perfect health at the time that she left. She sat in the chair feeling confused; should she be mourning? _But I don’t feel exactly_ sad, Hadrian thought, _I don’t feel happy about it either._ Hadrian knew what she felt: confusion. How did her aunt die? When? Why? Why wasn’t she in grief?

As she sat in the chair and pondered these thoughts, the staff watched her with confusion, save for the headmaster, who continued to look at the girl with kind eyes as he waited for her to speak. When she did, she had the whole room’s attention: “How?” her voice shocked the teachers as it was not quiet or cracking as if she were crying. When the staff didn’t answer at first Hadrian looked up and asked again, “How? How did she die?” The headmaster unfolded his hands and picked up the parchment that had been laying on his desk. He cleared his throat, “I wish with all my heart, Hadrian, that I could say that it was by natural causes, but…” he trailed off and looked up at her with what Hadrian knew was pity.

She shook the annoying feeling she got from the headmaster’s expression off in turn of getting some answers. “If not by natural causes then by what? Surely not murder.” She asked, not able to contain some of her annoyance. That feeling, however, completely melted away when the headmaster didn’t answer, instead closing his eyes as if that would help him to preclude from telling her the truth. Hadrian sucked in a sharp breath in horror of what had happened. _Aunt Petunia was dead, and she was murdered._ “She was murdered.” Hadrian then stated aloud, as if that would help her to believe it.

The professors continued to stand near the back of the room in silence and the air was heavy with commiseration. “Yes, I am afraid so.” Dumbledore finally confirmed. She looked up, her eyes watering for an unknown reason, “Why? Who did it?” she asked, willing her tears not to spill. “If you would like, perhaps it would be better to talk about this when you are more-” the headmaster started but Hadrian interrupted. “No.” She sat up straight and wiped at her eyes. “No. I want to know.” The headmaster sighed, “Hadrian, I really-“ “Don’t.” Hadrian interrupted once more, Dumbledore was taken aback, “I’m sorry…?” Hadrian gave a tiny shake of her head, “Don’t call me Hadrian.”

She didn’t know what prompted her to say that but she didn’t like the way the headmaster said her name. Like she was just a little kid who needed consoling because she wasn’t. Hadrian had probably been through more than that man ever had and she had dealt with it all just fine on her own. His voice was filled with mock compassion and pity though his icy blue eyes portrayed his real emotions; annoyance flashed clearly on his face before he smoothed it out into an impassive expression. He folded his hands atop of the paper. “Very well, Miss Potter.” He said in a clipped tone. “However, I stand by my decision. You will find out about your aunt’s situation if I deem it necessary and when it won’t affect your mental health. Now, run along. You have twenty-five minutes left on your lunch break.”

Hadrian sat there in the chair, mouth slightly agape and staring at the man in front of her with wide eyes, unable to believe what she just heard. “I-I’m sorry?” she said for lack of better words. The man smiled a smile that derided fondness. “I believe I made myself clear, and you are not to go searching for the answer yourself. I will find out if you do.” Hadrian was torn between screaming in frustration or demanding an answer as to why, however, as if sensing her outburst, the headmaster suddenly stood. “Professor Snape, if you would, please escort Miss Potter back to the Great Hall.” After a few seconds Hadrian heard carpet muffled footsteps come up from behind her before a hand was placed on her shoulder, surprising her.

She looked up at the man with the inscrutable face and eventually got up and followed him to the door. The professor opened the door and they were just about to step over the threshold when the headmaster spoke once more: “Miss Potter, I do hope that you understand that I am doing this because I care for you. It is for your own good.” Hadrian listened with her head turned slightly over her shoulder, “Yeah,” she replied quietly, “Yeah, I’m sure you are.” With that she walked out of the room, brushing past Professor Snape as she started down the stairs and leaving the shocked professor still standing.

***

Hadrian walked at a brisk pace down the cool and empty corridors, vigorously rubbing her eyes that were now spilling frustrated tears. It was not long before she heard steady footsteps coming from behind her, “I can find the cafeteria fine on my own, professor,” She said in a croaked voice. “Thank you.” She continued to walk and continued to hear the other’s footsteps and for some reason this made her start crying harder. _Why can’t I be alone? If only for a few moments? Why must I always be manipulated and used and lied to?_ She thought as she let out a sob. Then something happened that surprised both Hadrian and the professor, an arm shot out and clasped over her forearm, pulling her towards the tall man’s chest. The shock of the situation was enough to stop Hadrian’s tears and instead she resorted to hiccups and sniffles.

The man’s hands were folded behind her back in a real honest to goodness hug and Hadrian still couldn’t believe it. The man’s jacket smelled familiar and unfamiliar at the same time; it smelled of parchment, pine, and ink but there was a hint of familiarity that Hadrian couldn’t separate from the others, yet it was distinct. After a few moments she quieted and the professor took a step back, his hands still on her shoulders.

Hadrian looked up and met the man’s eyes which had softened into a deep brown color and after a few seconds he spoke: “I’m sorry for your loss.” He said in a tone very unlike the one she had gotten used to during his hourly lecture. She sniffed before wiping her eyes once more, “Thank you…” she said quietly as she looked at the man. His face no longer held his usual stony expression and now seemed… empathetic? She didn’t have the chance to say anything else before the professor nodded once and turned, disappearing down the corridor in his usual swift gait.

***

“Hadrian!” a girl’s voice called as said girl made her way slowly down the hall and towards the doors to the Great Hall. “Hadrian, there you are!” the girl jogged up to her with Ron. “Hey Mione, Ron.” She said in a casual tone. Hermione however, wasn’t fooled for a second and narrowed her eyes. “Are you going to tell us what happened up there or do I need to force it out of you?” she said in a serious tone whom most would take as a joke but Hadrian knew that she was threatening her in all seriousness. She made a show of picking a piece of lint off of her skirt, “Tell you what?” Hermione put her hands on her hips and Ron leaned back on the corridor wall before bending down to readjust the laces on his roller blades.

“Oh no,” Hermione said, eyes narrowing further, “don’t you play all innocent on me. What did Dumbledore want to see you about?” Hadrian covered up a scowl at the name as she thought. _Do I tell them? How would I explain it when I don’t even know the full story myself? Maybe they can help me figure out the truth…_ “Okay…” Hadrian replied slowly, thoughtfully. Hermione looked surprised, she obviously thought that she wouldn’t have given in so fast. “Okay,” Hadrian repeated, looking up at the two, “Meet me on the seventh-floor corridor at ten o’clock tonight.” The other girl’s eyes grew, “But, Hadrian!” Hermione dropped her voice to a loud whisper and looked around before continuing, “That’s after hours!” Hadrian shook her head, “It’s the only way I can tell you guys, nobody can be around.”  
She said seriously, “It’s about Dumbledore, he’s hiding something… something important, I can tell.”

Now it was Hermione’s turn to shake her head, “But do you think it’s wise?” she asked in a worried voice, “I mean, you only just got here… and I’ve only been here for a year. What if they find out? We could get expelled!” At this point in the conversation, Ron had rolled over to them and was now standing next to them, listening to the conversation with a contemplative look on his face. Both girls suddenly looked towards him, only now noticing his silence. “Ron?” Hermione asked with a confident tone as if she already knew the answer. “What do you think?” The boy bit his bottom lip, seemingly in deep thought.

Just as Ron was about to open his mouth to answer their little meeting was interrupted by footsteps from behind. “What’s the big secret over here?” said a drawling voice. Hadrian turned to see Malfoy strolling casually down the corridor towards them, hands in the pockets of his uniform slacks. “That’s none of your business, Malfoy,” Hermione said hotly. Hadrian, predicting an outburst, suddenly spoke up, “We’re not doing anything, Malfoy. Please go back to wherever you came from.” Even before she said this she already knew it would land on deaf ears.

“You wouldn’t happen to be planning something that will get you _expelled,_ would you? _”_ He said in a teasing tone, the other three kid’s eyes grew wide. “You were eavesdropping!” Hermione screeched. Hadrian looked around quickly to make sure no one heard, _we can’t talk out here, right in the middle of the main corridor… we have to find someplace private._ With that thought in mind, Hadrian spoke, “Alright, Draco…” she said quietly, ignoring Hermione’s shocked gasp, “If you want to know about this, you have to swear to keep this quiet, and I mean _swear_ by it. This thing… it’s something important, I know it is.

“There’s going to be risks, so if you want out of it, say so now and you can walk away as if this conversation never happened. Or, you can meet us in the seventh-floor corridor at ten o’clock. We can use the empty classroom three doors down from the staircase. I don’t think anyone uses it… I saw it on my way back from Dumbledore’s office. I was taking a long detour, I had some… things on my mind. So, are you in or out?”

Malfoy’s eyes were narrowed slightly in thought before he turned and walked off down the hall. Hadrian watched with wide and shocked eyes as she watched the boy’s retreating back. “Hadrian!?” Hermione exclaimed frantically, “Why did you tell him that?! He’s probably gone to find the nearest professor to rat us out on!” Hadrian pursed her lips and for some strange reason, she didn’t think that was what he was going to do at all.

***

Hadrian turned in her bed to lay on her side. She had last checked the time when she and the rest of the girls had headed up to bed and the clock had read nine twenty-seven. Hadrian had yet to get a watch or some other type of time tracker but she was almost positive that it had been at least twelve minutes. After Malfoy had left them in the corridor and after Hadrian and Ron had finally calmed an anxious Hermione, the three of them had agreed to meet each other in the Ravenclaw common room at twelve-forty.

Carefully, so as to not wake her dorm-mates, Hadrian slipped out from underneath her comforter and slid on her slippers. She carefully tiptoed to the bottom of her bed where a hoodie lay on the trunk at the foot of her bed and pulled the bulky grey fabric over her head. The door that led down to the common room was still cracked open the slightest bit from when Hadrian had duct-taped the lock so it wouldn’t close completely. Hadrian quietly made her way down the stairs to the dimly fire-lit lounge and soon enough she spotted two silhouettes standing next to one of the windows. However, as her eyes adjusted to the light and as she approached the two she noticed other shapes as well.

“Hermione?” she whispered cautiously. One of the shadows jumped slightly before a light was turned on, Hadrian blinked rapidly before the light was directed at her chest rather than her face. “Oh good, it’s you!” Hermione exclaimed quietly. “Yeah…” she replied while looking around at the rest of the people. There were two extra shadows in their group. “Um, guys?” Hadrian said confused and alarmed, “This was supposed to be secret? You know, the whole reason we were sneaking out in the first place?” Hermione smiled sheepishly before shining the light on the two other figures: Neville and Luna.

“Luna heard me come in earlier and found me down here, she said she wants to help. Same with Neville, though he was apparently sleeping at first before Ron accidentally tripped over the threshold and the crash woke him up.” Hermione turned to glare at the boy who smiled sheepishly and scratched his neck. “Sorry,” he mumbled, “at least he wants to help…?” Hadrian sighed. “You know, this is really kind of you guys, but-” “They already know about the risks, Hadrian. They’re in.” Hermione interrupted. “Oh.” She said surprised. _Is it such a good idea to have so many people in on it? I guess it doesn’t matter now, they already know…_ “Okay,” she said resolutely, “I’m sure we can use some help. Now, let’s get out of here before more people get the change to join in. Follow me.” Hermione handed her a small flashlight before the small group exited the common room.

They walked quietly and stealthily through the corridors, some more than others. Ron had already tripped twice. Fourth floor…Fifth floor…Sixth…Seventh. After walking up several staircases they finally made it to their destination and Hadrian led them down the dark corridor and towards the abandoned room she had seen before. They had walked up to the door when Hadrian noticed something; the door was cracked open, dim light coming through. Someone was already there.


	16. Two AM

“Hadrian?” Hermione whispered, so quietly that Hadrian had to strain her ears to hear her, “What should we do?” She stood quietly for a moment before coming to a decision, “You guys stay here,” she said just as quietly, “If it’s a professor or any part of the staff, I’ll tell them I couldn’t sleep. I’ll tell you if it’s safe to come in if I’m not back out within five minutes just go back to the dorms.” Hadrian put her hand on the doorknob before another clasped her wrist, it was Ron’s. “What if you get in trouble?” She bit her lip, “It was my idea anyway,” His brows furrowed, “It may have been your idea, Hadrian, but we all agreed to it. I say we go in together.” Hadrian’s eyes grew, “Are you kidding me?! No way! There’s no point in us all getting caught.”

When Ron’s expression didn’t change Hadrian closed her hand on the doorknob again, “Remember, five minutes.” He didn’t stop her this time when she quietly pushed the door open enough to slide through. In all honesty, Hadrian thought she had a pretty good idea as to who was there… “Malfoy,” She said with a small smile. “Decided to join us after all?” A yellow light lit up a small section of the room, coming from an oil lamp that sat atop of an old school desk. A silhouette walked into the glow and blonde, almost white, hair practically glowed in the dark. “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought some friends as well.” The boy said smirking. Hadrian looked confused for a moment before two flashlights were turned on from a spot in the back of the room.

A girl with short, pitch black hair was dressed in Slytherin robes and stood next to her was-“Zabini!?” Hadrian all but shrieked and the tall, dark boy smirked. The almost-shout caused the door to the classroom to open and the rest of the group came in. “Everything all right, Hades?” Ron asked, carrying his flashlight and pointing it around the room. “Yes Ron, everyone, its fine.” Most of the students relaxed, some, however, Ron, Hermione, and Hadrian, in particular, were still a bit tense. The room was silent while the two groups watched each other from across the room.

“Okay, well, we’re not going to get anything done just standing here,” Hadrian said finally. She rolled her eyes at them before walking over to the stacked chairs that lined one of the walls, took one, and then sat down near the middle of the room. “Well, c’mon guys,” she said to her friends who were still eyeing the Slytherins warily. Luna was the first to cross the room and grab a chair before Neville, the unknown Slytherin girl, Ron, Blaise, and Malfoy followed their lead. Hermione was left standing near the door, “Hermione?” the girl looked at Hadrian. “I don’t think that this is a good idea,” she announced, looking towards Malfoy again.

“Mione’…” she said slowly, “Could I talk to you for a minute?” the girl was still watching the boy but nodded her head anyway. Hadrian stood and, taking a hold of Hermione’s arm, led her to the corner in the very back of the room. “Are you alright?” Hermione nodded again and she furrowed her brows. “I’m getting a strong feeling that you’re not telling me the truth.” The girl sighed, “It’s just… I really am fine but… do we _need_ to work with the Slytherins for this?” Hadrian searched her friend’s face, “Look, I know you have trouble with the Mathematics professor and that he _is_ head of Slytherin but-” Hermione shook her head, “No! No, that’s not the reason why.” “Well then what is it then?” Hadrian asked exasperatedly as Hermione glanced over towards the blonde boy again. “Is it…” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “Is it Malfoy?” She asked confused.

The other girl bit her lip before looking into Hadrian’s eyes and nodding. “Why? I mean… I know he’s a git but he’s not that bad.” Hermione shook her head once more and Hadrian had had enough, she grasped the brunette’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “Look Hermione, I’m really going to need you to tell me this because this thing that we are going to do… it’s important. _Very_ important.” She sighed before continuing, “I wasn’t going to tell anyone the real reason we were doing this but I’ll tell you, okay?” Hermione looked confused but nevertheless replied, “Okay..?” Hadrian closed her eyes, and took a step back before rushing it out, “My aunt was murdered.” Hermione gasped and her eyes grew wide as her mouth dropped but Hadrian held up a hand to silence any words.

“My aunt was murdered, and Dumbledore wouldn’t tell me anything about it. He’s holding all the information on it from me with an excuse that it was “for my mental health”. There’s got to be more behind this, I mean obviously because _she was murdered!_ And I have a strong feeling that he isn’t planning on telling me anytime soon, or never, if he gets his way. That is why I need you guys’ help. I need to figure out what’s behind this and the only way to do that is to get into his office.” Hermione gasped once more and this time Hadrian was forced to listen to what she had to say, “Hadrian!” she whisper-yelled, eyes still wide as a saucer, “You want to _break into_ the _headmaster of Hogwarts’s office?!”_

 _Why did I think she would take this well?_ Hadrian wondered to herself before replying. “Yes.” She said simply, because yes; _Yes,_ she wanted to know the truth about something for _once_ in her life. And _yes,_ she was going to do whatever it took to get it, even if it means breaking and entering. Hermione must have seen the sheer determination in her eyes because instead of freaking out all over again she closed her own, seemingly deep in thought. A few moments later, Hermione looked up at her again and, biting her lip, she looked over at the others. “Okay.” The girl said quietly. “Okay, but only because it’s for you, Hadrian. And I don’t want anything to do with Malfoy.” She added on hastily before turning back to the widely grinning teen.

***

“So that’s what this is all about.” Hadrian finished, sitting back down on her seat and looking around at the others in their various pondering positions. She had just finished telling the group about her situation and what they needed to get done and now was the important part: finding out if the lot would participate.

She and Hermione were looking around the group for any reactions as the others took in the information; Like her, Ron sat with the chair backward, his arms crossed over the top of the back and his chin resting on them. Malfoy sat straight in his chair, arms also crossed but resting on his chest. Zabini was stroking his chin with his eyes narrowed thoughtfully and Parkinson had her legs crossed, leaning forward in her chair, elbows balanced on her knees and hands together in front of her mouth in a prayer-like position. Luna looked radiant as ever, despite the tense silence that had settled over the rest of the group after Hadrian’s speech and Neville sat next to her, looking a bit anxious but nevertheless determined as he bounced his right leg up and down nervously.

“That’s a lot of things that would need to happen perfectly in order for your plan to actually work out,” Malfoy said suddenly, breaking the silence. It wasn’t the exact reaction Hadrian had been looking for but at least it wasn’t a flat-out “no”. “Yes, your right.” She agreed, “But like I said earlier, if we’re going to do this, we have to do it right, plus the dude hardly ever leaves his office so this would be our only way in.” There were a few more seconds of silence before another voice spoke, this time it was Zabini. Hadrian set her jaw and set her attention to the question asked rather than the person asking it. “So when – supposing we agree to help you – when would this take place?”

Hadrian smiled slightly, she had been prepared for that question. “During the weekend, while everyone is at Hogsmeade.” “Are you kidding?” the boy said with his eyes widening. “You not only want us to risk our educations but you also just _had_ to pick to do this on our first weekend here?” She blushed slightly at his comment. “Hey, leave her alone, Zabini!” Ron defended as she tried to swallow down her embarrassment before speaking. “Um, well, that’s kind of the thing…” she started slowly. “You see, the um, he’s going to be joining Professor McGonagall and some of the other staff for dinner in Hogsmeade Saturday evening. I-um, I overheard them talking in the staff room while on my way to History class earlier today, and apparently they’ll be leaving around seven, so um, everyone will still get their Hogsmeade trips.”

She looked up from where she had determinately been staring at Neville’s shoulder and glanced hopefully at the other’s faces.

“Alright, well, let’s look at this rationally,” Parkinson said, the first words she had spoken since their meeting started. All heads turned to her. “Now, let’s just say that Mr. Control Freak here _does_ leave his office that evening. How do we know how long he will be gone?” Hadrian stood and took out a piece of parchment from her hoodie pocket; she had found it in the common room and had been drawing on it in bed while waiting for the rest of the kids to fall asleep. “So, this is a full diagram of the plans.” She announced, rolling out the paper and laying it on the floor. “Now, this is the entrance to the school, and this is our destination,” she continued to explain whilst pointing out the different spots on the “map”.

“If things go right, all of the students, including us, should be returning back to the school around five in the evening for dinner, studying, and whatnot. While they are headed down this hall, we are going to separate and head up these stairs.” She explained, pointing out the sketchy doors that had been circled with a red highlighter. “I’ve only been this way once, but, we are going to take a longer detour route to his office. I hadn’t seen anybody there except for the professor that came to get me so we should be good as far as getting noticed goes.

“Now, here’s the part where it gets tricky; in order to get through the door, it looks like there’s some kind of bulky lock. I couldn’t get a real good look at it on the way out but it seems like it could be opened with the simple card trick, has anyone here ever done that before?” Malfoy raised his hand and everyone looked over at him with shocked expressions. “What? My mom would have the house staff keep the cookies locked up in the kitchen cupboard.” Everyone continued to stare. “I was an eight year old with needs!” he said defensively, throwing his hands up dramatically. Hadrian shook her head slightly before turning back to the parchment.

“After we get in, I expect that it will presumably be empty,” At this Parkinson sat up straight, “ _Presumably??_ Hunny, I ain’t going through with this plan if it’s based on presumptions!” Hadrian sighed and rubbed her temples, “Look, to be fair, nothing in this world in for certain! Is gravity going to be a thing forever? What about oxygen? Are we all going self-destruct someday for some unknown sciencey reason? You can’t ever know for sure until it happens. Besides, you don’t have to worry about being caught in there because I’m the only one that’s actually going in.”

This time Hermione and Ron sat up. “What?!” they said simultaneously before Ron continued to speak. “You said that we were all doing this together! If you’re the only one going in, then what are we here for?” “Yeah, you can’t take all the blame on this if it goes wrong Hadrian. You’re not the only one that’s suspicious about him.” She finished. “Listen, guys, I appreciate your concerns, but really… When you look at this rationally you can see that it only makes sense.” Hadrian explained. “I’m the one that has to do with this whole thing, besides, the more people that go in there the more chance we have of getting caught. It’s the only way, I promise, it will all work out in the end.”

Her two friends looked at each other with thoughtful faces before nodding. “I guess… but Hadrian,” Hermione got off her chair and onto her knees beside Hadrian on the floor. “You have to be careful. This is serious stuff, you could go to jail for this!” Hadrian looked back down to her plans and gave a small nod. “I know.” She replied. “It’s just, I don’t know what I _want_ to know and I _really_ want to know it. You know?” Ron smiled slightly and Hermione shook her head exasperatedly with a sigh. “Alright then, what now?” Neville suddenly asked leaning forwards in his chair. Hadrian looked around at the small group “Now,” she replied as she stood and rolled up the plans. “we wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This book is getting to be a lot longer than I thought it would be! I hope you are starting to like the bits of plot that are beginning to show :D


	17. A Leak In the Plan

Hadrian glanced over at the clock that was positioned above the door of the English classroom. Eleven fifty-two. _Just eight more minutes before the bell rings…_ she thought to herself as she focused her vision back on Professor McGonagall who was currently discussing the book that the class had agreed on in the beginning of the week for their Independent Reading sessions and discussions. Hadrian had gotten her copy on Monday and had already read it twice since.

The days after “the big meeting” had gone by smoothly; luckily no one in their common rooms had noticed their absence so they were all able to sneak back into their dorms with none the wiser. The last four days had been a jumble of classes, meals, and planning for Hadrian. Thankfully, with it being the first week of lessons there, none of the professors had assigned much homework to be done. Hadrian had the mission planned down to a tee; now all there was left to do was to carry it out. Easy as pie. To be put in more detail, she was terrified.

 _If this thing goes wrong, I’m going to be expelled. And not only me but possibly me friends too._ Hadrian shook her head to get rid of the negative thoughts, _the last thing I need is_ more _anxiety. It’s all going to go according to plan…_ she assured herself.

Professor McGonagall seemed to take her head shaking for a different reason. “No?” she asked turning her head towards Hadrian who was brought back to the present. “What do you not agree with, Hadrian? Do you have something to add to our discussion?” she seemed excited to finally have someone actually interested in the book to comment. “Uhhh….” _Shoot._ She thought as she tried to remember the question asked. “W-What was the question again?” Hadrian heard some snickers coming from a few of the classmates but ignored them in favor of listening to the professor.

Professor McGonagall only smiled, “What do you think John Green was trying to convey through the two characters?” _Oh yeah._ Hadrian thought as she tried to come up with an answer that wouldn’t lead to more discussion. _The story, for me, basically told a realistic perception of a teenage love story vs. the harsh realities of humanity and malady._ Hadrian had personally loved the book; too often would she see stories based off of _perfect_ heroes or universes rather than the realistic tales of _imperfect_ humans.

 _I can’t say that though_ , Hadrian thought as she continued to stare at the expectant professor. _People have a tendency to try to block those kinds of stories out of their lives, hence the word “harsh reality.” It wouldn’t be such a shocking truth if people didn’t try to “hide” from what’s inevitably going to “find them.”_ So, Hadrian simply went with what society wants her to say. “I think that he tried to convey the love between the two main characters.” She said simply. The answer tasting bland and boring in her mouth, but she couldn’t tell her real opinion. No, people are too easily offended.

***

Hadrian was walking down the hall in the direction of the tall entrance, or in this case, exit. Hermione, Ron, Malfoy, Parkinson, Zabini, Neville, Luna, and she were going to be meeting by a tall willow tree near the end of the school’s grounds. From there, they were going to leave the stuff that they had collected from various parts of the academy in order to pick them up later after the Hogsmeade trip. As long as everyone held up their ends of the job they would have everything that they required in order to get into the headmaster’s office.

As Hadrian walked, the crisp leaves and dying grass crunched beneath her feet. The trees that made up the dark forest in the not so far off distance were already shedding their leaves to bare their dark roots and branches. The caretaker, Filch, had already begun to clear the multiple paths that surrounded the school and rake the offending and brightly colored debris into small piles that were scattered around the grounds. The air was dry and cold and Hadrian could see her breath form small puffs of air as she made her way further down the hill.

Four out of her group were already down there but something seemed slightly off. Hadrian slowed her steps as she reached the bottom of the hill and as she got closer she could start to make out the figures that stood beneath the tree. One thing was for sure, they were _not_ any of her friends. A short man with a long and black striped coat, mustache, and bowler hat stood alongside three taller men. One was black, he was tall and broad-shouldered with a single gold hooped earring in one lobe. The other was slightly taller than the first man but still rather short and pudgy with rumpled grey hair. A fourth man stood among them but his figure was hidden by the tree’s thick base.

Hadrian was about to walk closer to get a better look but before she could take a single step her arms were grabbed from behind and a hand clamped over her mouth. She struggled, she kicked and tried to scream for help but it was no use. Hadrian was dragged backward and into the border of the dark forest before the person holding her stopped behind a large boulder not far from the willow tree. Sensing her chance, she bit the person’s hand, who let go at the sudden retaliation.

“Ow!” whisper-shouted a familiar voice and Hadrian relaxed drastically, albeit still a bit tense. “What the hell, Malfoy?!” she shouted before someone else clapped a hand over her mouth. Hadrian turned to see Ron, who was holding a finger to his mouth in a “quiet” signal. Before she could say anything else, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Parkinson, and Blaise stepped out from where they had presumably been hiding behind the trees. The six of them turned to look over the large boulder to see the four men, who had glanced over towards their direction at Hadrian’s shout.

The small man with the mustache took a few cautious steps over towards their “hiding” spot and they all held their breathes as they crouched down in a group behind the rock. The sound of crunching leaves got louder as the man got closer and there was a pregnant pause before he spoke. “There’s no one here, Albus.” He announced before Hadrian heard the tell-tale sound of retreating footsteps. Her eyes grew wide as she heard what the man said. _Albus– Albus_ Dumbledore?! She thought frantically as the men’s voices returned to quiet murmurs presumably heading back up towards the academy. 

Hermione stood up slightly to check that the coast was clear before she put a signaled us to be quiet and to follow her. The group got up one by one and entered the dark forest, walking a little ways before stopping near the border; close enough to still see the retreating men, but far enough so that Hadrian had to squint her eyes in order to see the others in the dark and not able to hear the men’s voices. Hadrian, now more confused than ever, started to talk in a shout-whisper. “ _What-_ ” Malfoy turned to her. “They knew we were coming here.” He said tensely. “ _What!?”_ Hadrian asked frantically, “What? How!? We were the only others at the meeting! It was almost two am!?” Hermione shook her head, eyes still on the four men. “I have no idea, luckily, Neville saw them heading down from the window of his last class before any of us had made it out the door yet. He met us in the hallway, but nobody could find you. So we waited here.” Hadrian thought back to the long book discussion McGonagall had made them participate in and she smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry. I got held up in English.”

 _How did they know we were meeting here? Does this mean they know about the plan, too? No… No, they mustn’t. If they did, they would have let us follow through with the plan and hide in the office to catch us red-handed… right?_ Hadrian rationalized. She took a few deep breathes for a failed attempt at calming her nerves. “Okay, guys…” everyone turned to look at her. “This was a really close call. And I know you aren’t going to agree with me. But…” Hermione narrowed her eyes, “You aren’t about to say what I think you’re about to say, are you?” Parkinson’s eyes widened, “Please tell me you’re not thinking about-” Hadrian closed her eyes.

“I want to continue with the plan.” She rushed out before opening them cautiously; Malfoy was stood still, mouth agape, next to Ron whose lips were pursed in a thin white line. Hermione and Parkinson were also gaping at her with eyes as wide as saucers. Neville was practically biting his bottom lip off with the force that he was biting into it. Luna looked unconcerned and looked more interested in the wild mushrooms that were growing at the base of a nearby tree. Zabini, however, threw his hands up in the air and shouted, “ _Unfreakingbelivable_!” Hadrian crossed her arms and glared at the boy. “Zabini, I don’t think you understand-” He laughed incredulously. “ _Don’t understand!?”_ he continued to rant. “ _You don’t think that_ I _understand? Well, I don’t think YOU understand, Potter!_ Do you know how long I’ve waited to get into this school?! Huh? Do you?

“No, you don’t! Because you never think about anybody else’s situations! All you care about is yourself and your own problems! You’re a selfish brat and I’m tired of it! This whole week you’ve been telling us that ‘you have a plan’ and ‘it will all turn out’ but how do you know that? Huh!? You don’t! What’s going to happen is that we’re all going to get _expelled_ and _arrested_ because somebody wants to play hero! Well, guess what, Potter? I’m done! I’m out of this whole stupid ordeal! Your aunt is _dead,_ Potter. And it’s not going to change anything whether you get this ‘secret information’ or not! She’s dead and there is nothing you can do about it! _So stop trying!_ ”

Everyone stood silently at his sudden outburst. The crickets and the sound of the wind going through the trees being the only sound in the clearing. Hadrian was seeing red, her eyes were blurry and her whole body was shaking. “Then leave.” She said quietly her voice unstable, breaking the tense silence. She spoke again but louder, “Leave. Leave all of you. I shouldn’t have asked.” she said before turning and making her way out of the forest. “Hadrian!” Hermione called running after her, “Hadrian, stop! Zabini is just being a git! You know how he is! We want to help you!” Hadrian turned around quickly. “ _No!_ ” she shouted, making Hermione and the others stumble back a step in shock.

“No, you don’t! You’re doing this because you feel sorry for me! But do _any_ of you know how it feels? To be left in the dark? Sometimes _literally_? To be ignored and neglected your _entire life_? Do you know how it feels to be the extra, the leftover that nobody wants? Do you know how it feels to be nothing but the outcast, the burden, _the freak?_ To be beaten because you dropped a dish or forgot to switch the laundry?

“To experience getting up every day at four am in order to mop the floors, dust the windows, cook the meals, wash the dishes, tend the garden, do the laundry, make the beds, all on top of your own school work ever since you were three years old!? Only to get the same disgusted looks every day. To be the six-year-old that gets shunned for her good grades because their better than someone else’s? To not know who your parents are but being blamed for their deaths all the same? Correct me if I’m wrong, Zabini, but I don’t think you do.”

Everyone was silent once again but Hadrian didn’t give them any time to react. “So, I’m sorry if I inconvenienced any of you because _I wanted to know the truth for once in my life._ But you’re right about one thing, Zabini. I am selfish. I’m selfish because I want to keep the only friends I’ve ever had in my _life_ safe from trouble. I’m selfish because I leastways wanted to try for something that _I_ wanted. Not someone else. I’m sorry that I wanted to experience acceptance for at least a moment. I don’t want any of you to get hurt. So leave. Like how everything else I’ve obtained in life, I’m doing this alone. But this time it’s going to be different. This time, it’s by choice.”

Silence.

“ _I SAID LEAVE!”_ she shouted at them, hands clenched by her sides. The six teens stepped back once more before hesitating. “ _GO!”_ They all turned and ran out of the forest towards the castle. Hadrian watched them go with blurred vision before she couldn’t see them anymore due to her tears which were now flowing down her shaking form. She let out a few heart retching sobs, hands covering her face before she hit the ground with her knees. Her kneeling form was small between the tall dark trees of the forest and light on the mossy grass. The birds in the surrounding trees sang their cheery tunes covering the girl’s cries, lost in the simplicity.

Why can’t they feel her heart breaking?


	18. A/N:

**Hello readers,**

**As you may already know, my normal updating schedule has been set for every Tuesday. I made this decision when I felt that I could keep up with the work and balance it with the rest of my private life as well, however, unfortunately, I recently haven’t been feeling like I can give you all of what you deserve to be reading. At this point in time, I do not feel capable to create good content for you or any additions to this story that would benefit the plot. For this reason, I am currently putting this story on hold for the time being. I am not sure how long H.A.F.A.L will be down but I will try to get back to writing as soon as I feel I can. Thank you so much for your kind comments on the different posting platforms, I really appreciate them.**

**Thank you so much for reading,**

**-CarolyndeC**


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